Prétear, A First Kiss Fairy Tale
by KeyQuis
Summary: AU.Himeno doesn't believe in the fairy tales or true love for that matter.On her 16th birthday, she discovers that she is the Pretear, the one the Angel Knights need to defeat the Prince of Darkness.C6: A Forgotten Fairytale From the Past. OMG A NEW CHAP!
1. Feathers of Fate

**Disclaimer: I hold absolute zero ownership to Pretear. Copyright 2001,Kaori Naruse & Junichi Satou. **

Prétear - A First Kiss Fairy Tale

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Action

Rating: PG13

**Summary:** Himeno is a daughter of the most prestigious family in Leafeania. On her 16th birthday, she discovers that she is the Pretear, the Maiden of Life, a young girl who can grant celestial beings with great power with just one kiss. The Angel Knights have been sent to protect Himeno's kiss from the Prince of Darkness, Haidhis. However, the Angel Knights also need her power to seal him. But Himeno can avoid her one year fate as a Maiden of Life if she gives her first kiss to a mortal being she loves. Thus, her fairy tale begins and does she have the strength to endure all the sadness before reaching her happy ending.

Extra Notes: The whole knight cast is back with same powers and new positions. One **giant fairytale** like story with twists like the original story. Lots of parallels to Pretear. It's like watching Pretear all over again, only that it's a little different this time.

KeyQuis: I've been itching to write this story for a long time already. Most of the plot is complete and I think fans will enjoy it. This definitely will be the best piece of Pretear fanfic I'll ever write. Combined aspects from the manga and anime.

Foreword: Author's Note contains more details regarding the knights. Some interesting variations on everyone. Some roles have been rotated XD.

!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I

**Chapter 1: Feathers of Fate**

**

* * *

**

_A kiss.  
An intimate moment of breathless words shared by lovers.  
When pure hearts come together, only then can love truly exist.  
And a new life is born._

* * *

The angel saw the sign. After 16 years of divine sealing, it's trail of death made its way back unto Leafeania once more. He knew the dark spirit would first drain the life of small land creatures before taking form and stealing the life of humans. It was inevitable that the rusted gears of time would forcefully move into motion. After all, it was time. The angel took one last glimpse at the broken seal before walking away. This time was going to be different.

"It broke out didn't it, Kei?" an angel with long elegant flowing blonde hair asked.

The angel nodded sadly. "It was only a matter of time, Shin. We have to get the other knights immediately."

An angel with hair of the colour ice appeared behind the small angel and patted his head. "Way ahead of you, Kei." He grinned as two more knights appeared. "I thought it was about time that creep showed up. The dead never like staying dead."

"Mannen, this is serious. Our mission awaits us once more," Shin spoke out.

Kei addressed the other two knights. "Go, Hajime. The Prince of Darkness has set foot on Leafeania. The both of you will accompany Mannen and track his movements. Make all attempts to find him. No doubt he will have taken a human form by now."

"What about you and Shin?" Go asked his leader. "Won't you come with us as well?"

Kei answered with hidden sadness. "No. Shin and I will go to his place and wake him up. We will need him for this battle if things should go wrong."

Mannen intervened. "But he doesn't want to be a part of this anymore! He's -"

"Kei is right. We need him and he can't disobey his sworn duty. No matter what the circumstances are, he must fight alongside with us again," Shin interjected. His stern voice held authority.

The three knights obeyed their leader and Mannen opened a gate to the other world. They left knowing their duty.

"I hope they find him before he finds her," Shin told Kei, confiding his fears into his leader.

"That's why we need him. He'll find the Pretear if we can't stop the disaster. Hayate will find the Maiden of Life. Let's go, Shin."

The two angel knights went to the subheavens to awake the sleeping knight.

* * *

"There you go. Drink it all up every one of you. Must grow up to be healthy and strong if you want to be beautiful," a young girl with dark rosy pink hair and matching eyes called out to her garden of tulips as she watered them. "Spring is the time when you must be looking your best." She smiled widely while watching the droplets of water glisten in the sunlight.

"Miss Himeno, breakfast awaits you."

The girl turned around and looked up at her butler. "Thank you. Tell my parents I will be there soon."

"I'm sorry miss, your parents have asked me to retrieve you. Yesterday you never showed up until noon and worried your father deeply. I must make sure you are safe and well. After all, you are Awayuki's only daughter." The butler walked up to his young mistress and offered his hand. "Let's go Miss Himeno."

Himeno frowned. She had plenty of good reasons to ditch breakfast yesterday...and the day before yesterday...and the day before that day. Her father hired her a personal servant to be her watcher. She looked into the soft brown eyes of her servant. They reflected sincerity and kindness.

"Alright, Makoto. I'll go to breakfast today. Father is too demanding. He worries for nothing." Himeno grinned and walked past her servant. "Thank you for being so courteous, but I refuse to take the hand of any man."

Makoto smiled. "I understand, but I must be a gentleman." He quietly followed his mistress into the dining room.

* * *

A small cottage house nestled with vines and thorns lay silent in the subheavens, a place where angels rarely visited. It was a place of solitude and peace for those who sought it, a place of retreat. Two angels approached the house. An atmosphere of grieving sadness loomed over it, reflecting the heart lying within. The air was crisp and cold, almost death-like. Shin commanded the plant life to retreat and Kei cast a reviving light to bring back warmth to the lingering soul. They opened the door, walked in and followed wind leading to him.

_If only I didn't exist, then you would still be alive. I'm sorry..._

* * *

Himeno could only irk at the sight of her father's face. His wide smile bluntly said that he was up to no good. She proceeded to take a seat.

"Himenooooooo. You finally decided to join your family for breakfast," her father pouted. "I'm soooooo happy."

"Shut it, dad," Himeno replied sharply, instantly breaking the smile on her father's face.

"Himeno! That is no way to speak to your father like that," her stepmother Natsue scolded. "Apologize at once."

"I'm sorry, father, mother," Himeno said monotonously.

Her father instantly regained his happy mood. "Ah, now to important matters my youngest daughter. As you know, your 16th birthday is arriving and you know what time that is."

Himeno chewed on her bread and responded in muffles. "No fadar, ae ave joo ijea werht youro sauking arout."

"Himeno, do not talk with food in your mouth. Your father and I have no idea what you're talking about," Natsue scolded again.

Himeno roughly chewed her bread, swallowed it and washed it all down with milk. "I said, no father, I have no idea what you're talking about." She began chomping down on a slice of toast with strawberry jam.

Her father, Kaoru Awayuki, beamed with happiness as he announced to his daughter the wonders of her upcoming birthday. "You will be of the age when girls find true love and live happily ever after. Your mother and I have planned a large ball dance and invited the finest young men from around the country and beyond to attend your birthday. With so many, one must be your prospective husband." His ranting was shortened as his daughter threw a bread roll into his mouth.

Himeno nearly had a heart attack when she heard those words. She might as well have died from choking her toast at the same time. She finally knew why her father was so anxious to get her to have breakfast with him. Now she felt like a fool for skipping lunch and dinner with them as well for the past few days. If she didn't, then her father wouldn't have hired Makoto to keep an eagle's eye on her. There was no running away anymore.

"Kaoru!" Natsue shrieked in horror.

"No! I don't agree! I don't want this!" Himeno stood up from her seat and pounded the table once with her iron fists. "I don't want to find true love!"

Kaoru removed the bread roll from his mouth. "Himeno. This is for your own good. Mayune and Mawata are already happily married. They were both 16 as well. I just don't want you to fall behind."

Himeno crossed her arms. "I refuse."

Natsue tried to reason with her step-daughter. "Your father and I just want to see you happy."

Kaoru stood up as well and took out a frog from his pocket. "Himeno, fairy tales do come true. You just have to trust in miracles. Here, give it a kiss."

Himeno felt the veins popping up all over her forehead and fists. She aggressively swiped the frog from her father's hand and pitched it out the window. The shattered glass on the floor clearly indicated that the frog was never going to hop ever again.

"Himeno! Look what you did!" her father cried in disbelief.

"Damnit, dad. That's the eleventh frog you brought to me since I turned 15! And I sure as hell won't be giving my first kiss to a slimy creature. Princes don't come from frogs, dad!" Himeno retorted.

Her father gloomed and poked his index fingers together. "I just thought that..."

Himeno answered, "Just because Mayune's prince was a beast and Mawata's prince was a merman DOESN'T mean mine is going to be a frog! My true love isn't going to be an animal of any sort. The ball better be filled with human men or there will be blood on my 16th birthday and it won't be my own."

"Himeno...why are you so violent?" her father whimpered in defeat. His wife placed a soothing hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Hey, you were the one who told me that I had to grow up to be a strong woman. You were the one who sent me to all those martial art classes. So why wouldn't I be violent?" Himeno replied smugly. "Heh, I'm so strong that there's not a single guy out there who can take me on in a fight. I'm never going to be a princess in distress who needs to be saved. I can take care of myself. I don't need a man."

"You need true love, Himeno." Natsue looked at her softly. "It's not about physical strength. It's not about being saved from a dragon. It's about being complete."

"Meh," Himeno snorted in defiance. "Dad writes too many fairy tales with happy endings. Romances that come out of thin air. I don't want any part of it." Himeno balled up her fists. "If you'll excuse me now, I have my private tutoring session to attend to."

She left with a blazing aura of anger and frustration. Makoto escorted her to the study room.

"She's just young, Kaoru. Don't worry, the ball will work out."

Kaoru sighed. "For all of our sakes. It pains me to see her so bitter towards the existence of true love. It really does." He looked at the shattered pieces of glass. "It's like she doesn't even want to give love a chance."

"Himeno is special, dear. A frog won't do. She needs someone special to change her heart. I don't know if we can find that person for her. He might come without us ever knowing." Natsue notified a maid to get the window replaced and the broken glass cleaned up.

"You're probably right, Natsue. Maybe I'm pushing her too hard." Kaoru sighed. "Maybe we should just cancel the ball."

"No, the invitations are sent out. It's next week. To cancel it would be disrespectful and rude. I'm sure there are many young princes and noblemen eager to see our precious daughter."

"Where would I be without you, my wonderful wife? You understand me so well." Kaoru walked his wife out to the balcony to catch some sunlight. "This land is so filled with life. And I'm so happy that you're by my side to share it."

* * *

Long dark blue hair draped throughout the chamber room. Nothing aged while it grew long. He was still vibrant in his beauty. Angelic features bestowed the sleeping knight. His body was adorned with white robes that hung off the bedside. Small rays of light seeped through the tiny cracks of the sealed window. The room was dark and quiet, but not void of life.

"From the great gift of the Father and His majesty, I command forth the light of life unto thee. Awake and be restored of vigor and spirit. Open thy eyes, Angel Knight of Eternal Motion, Hayate!" Kei recanted out, stirring the slumbering figure.

Shin watched the body move subtly. Fingers bent and curled lightly before grasping the bed sheets. The chest inflated itself and a strong heartbeat could be heard. The wind picked itself up and the body sat up. Closed eyes slowly opened; the sky cleared itself after 16 years of stormy sorrow.

* * *

Himeno mindlessly went through her lessons. She stared absently out the window, at the birds perched on the tree. Their chirps sounded a melody of life in the springtime.

_I hate this mother. Father is pressuring me to get married. It's been almost 10 years since your death and 6 years since he married Natsue, a widowed women with two daughters. Mom, I just feel so sad. I don't understand why they're making a big deal out of my 16th birthday. I want to experience more of life before finding love. I want to know more about myself first. Mom, I miss you so much._

"Miss Himeno, I brought you some snacks."

Himeno broke away from her thoughts. Makoto held out a tray of cookies and a cup of sweet milk tea.

"Oh...thank you." Himeno took a cookie and nipped the edge of it. Being depressed took away her appetite.

"May I take a seat next to you?"

"Go ahead."

"Miss Himeno, I hope you don't mind me intruding, but why are you feeling so upset?" Makoto asked, careful to not offend his mistress.

"I don't mind." Himeno took a deep breath and slumped in her arms, crossed on top of the table. "My parents are pushing for me to get married. I'm not ready for something like that. I used to get excited about these sort of things, but when my mother passed away, I didn't want it anymore. Natsue is a wonderful and really kind person, but...she's not my real mom." She turned her head and gazed at Makoto. "I don't believe in the fairy tales I once listened to as a young girl. I don't believe in true love...not anymore." Himeno closed her eyes and felt a sense of comfort in sharing her thoughts.

Makoto listened intently. "Everyone must believe in something, miss. I believe that's a fundamental in existing or reason to be. There are times when it seems hopeless and life doesn't matter, but believing in that one thing will keep you strong and give you a reason to carry on living." His mistress looked at him with confused eyes. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to force my opinions on you. Please forgive me."

Himeno laughed. Her smile returned. "You're so funny, Makoto. Your manners are too overly gentleman. Where'd you learn to be so...good?" She chuckled in amusement. "And I've told you a billion times to stop calling me miss. Himeno is just fine."

Makoto's cheek slightly rosened with embarrassment. "Sorry, miss."

"Ah forget it. That's just who you are." Himeno grinned happily. "Hmm...thanks for listening to me. You're a good servant."

"Thank you."

"So Makoto...what do you believe in?"

"That's my treasured secret. Maybe I will share it with you when you find something to believe in." Makoto winked boyishly.

"Fine. It's a deal." Himeno picked up her books. "Tell my parents I won't be joining them for lunch this afternoon. I have other plans."

"Yes, miss."

"And I don't want you to follow me. This is a very private matter."

* * *

Hayate looked at the two angels, then the room. His unkempt hair lay everywhere.

"It's been 16 years, Hayate. How are you feeling?" Shin asked.

Hayate's eyes narrowed in on the younger and smaller angel, Kei.

"You...what happened to you?" Hayate hoarsely asked.

Kei placed his hands on his hip. "This form requires less spirit to maintain. Never mind me, Hayate. You have to get out of bed and find her."

Hayate's eyes darkened. He knew what Kei meant by 'her'. "It's time...again?"

"Yes, Hayate. We need your help. The seal broke, he's in Leafeania already," Shin pleaded.

Hayate moved off the bed and stood up. A few slices from his wind blades cut his hair back to proper length. His uniform hung from its stand. His wind brushed off the dust, revealing its glory.

"Alright, I'll go find the Pretear. Please leave the room, I'm going to change." Hayate motioned the winds to direct the two angels out his room.

Shin and Kei walked out of the house and waited for him to appear.

Hayate unrobed himself. The soft white fabric left his body and he noticed that there were no markings left from the last battle. Time never could heal all wounds; it just made them look better. His heart was scarred despite his flawless body. Hayate donned his uniform and it fit him perfectly. He cleaned up the strewn hair with a few simple brushes of wind. They disappeared as he removed the spirit from it. Destiny was about to begin again.

* * *

Hajime felt disgusted. All the life from the river was drained. Even with his command over water, his spiritual energy wasn't large enough to bring it back to life. Go gave the river a proper burial with his fire, Blazing Justice.

"With all that life gone, he must be in human form now. We're never going to find him." Mannen cursed and kicked the ground. "How are we going to tell Kei that we were too late!"

"Calm down, Mannen." Go bit his lips. "Kei and Shin must have awaken the Eternal Motion by now. I'm sure Hayate's looking for her. As long as we find the Pretear before Haidhis does, we'll be ok. Remember, he can't do anything powerful in his human shell form."

"That's not true, Go!" Hajime replied bitterly. "He's going to steal more life in his shell form. More things are going to die." He restrained bitter tears.

Mannen looked at his fellow angel knight of Blessed Spring. "Angel knights must stay strong no matter what. We can grieve, but we must never waver from our duty." Mannen patted his comrade on the head. "Now let's find us some clues. There must be something we can use to find him."

Go put Mannen in a playful headlock. "Don't start acting like the leader now. That's Kei's job."

* * *

"Finally, lost him." Himeno slumped her back against a tree and sat under its shade. "Why did dad have to hire such a good watcher? If I didn't lie about taking a bath, his eyes would have never left me."

Himeno took a few deep breaths before running deeper into the forest in her backyard. Sunlight and shade loomed on her, creating balance on her trip. Twigs crunched softly underneath each footstep. Himeno sprinted faster when she saw her special fountain pond. She was almost at her mother's grave.

* * *

_This is perfect. The angel knights won't even recognize me. And there she is, with her life spirit so strong. It was so easy to find her too...such a pity they won't be able to save her. She's mine for the taking. The Prétear's life will be mine._

* * *

"I ask the four governing winds to heed my call. Seek the path of greatest life and eternal rhythm. Let not the darkness stop thee in your findings. Open forth the road of peace and righteousness. Seek the one whose heart will guide the way."

Hayate waited for the wind's response. No matter how vast the world was, the winds would find her. He found the good news soon after. A feather was carried to him, radiating with life. The winds spoke her name. Hayate took its spirit into his own before flying off to see her.

_I won't make the same mistake this time._

* * *

"Yeah, dad wants to do something like that mom. I'm serious." Himeno said, sitting next to the gravestone. "Don't you think he's crazy?" She let out a small laugh. "What's so special about love? It's way too overrated in those fairy tales."

Himeno took a bite on a cupcake she brought with her. She went to visit her mother on the seventh day of each month. The cheerful sun shone its warm rays over the girl as she continued her one-sided conversation. A small sparrow landed by Himeno's side. Soon, more gathered around the young girl.

"Hello, help yourselves." Himeno broke some bread slices, especially brought for feeding the creatures, and spread it on the ground for them to eat. She watched with a smile.

"Next month, I'm going to bring my gardening tools and plant some flowers for you, mother." Himeno stood up and stretched out her arms, her hands reaching the sky. Her soft short hair and blue plaid skirt moved with the wind. Today was a wonderful day.

Suddenly, the sparrows took off without warning, making Himeno cry out in utter surprise. A pure white feather appeared in front of her for a quick moment before letting her eyes focus on where the birds gathered.

His arm was raised and the sparrows neatly perched on it. Himeno froze in her stand and stared at the stranger standing in the shadows. She waited for him to take a step into the light to reveal his presence. Her heart hammered in anticipation.

Hayate smiled faintly at the creatures on his arm. Animals of the wind always did like him very much. He whispered in the angelic tongue, bided grace to the birds and asked them to leave. He retreated his hands into the pockets of his long beige coat before taking a step into the light and greeting the Pretear. The search hadn't been difficult.

"I apologize for frightening you," Hayate said, intending to remove the sense of fear from her aura.

Himeno blushed when she saw the young man appear from underneath the tree. Shades of beautiful blue illuminated from his hair in the light and his eyes shared the same elegance. He appeared to be slightly older than her. There was something very angelic about his presence, but Himeno quickly brushed her wandering thoughts away and focused on the situation.

"What business do you have here? You are trespassing on the Awayuki's property. I ask that you leave immediately," Himeno said brashly when she regained her calm disposition. Anger began to boil inside of her because her routine visit was interrupted.

Hayate was instantly taken back by her rudeness. Her spirit was immensely strong, but her heart was different. This girl couldn't possibly be the Pretear, but the winds were never wrong in guiding him. No, this girl was a Pretear, just not a very good one in his eyes. He had his duty to fulfill regardless of what he thought.

"I am here for you, Himeno Awayuki." Hayate wore a solid silent expression on his face, showing little emotion in his speech.

* * *

He summoned forth his familiars, bats of darkness.

"Go and create chaos. Drain the life from as many females as you possibly can. Get me their spirits!"

_Once I revive, you'll be next my dearest...my beloved princess._

* * *

Himeno dashed towards the stranger with a brutal intention balled up in her fists. The name of Awayuki was well known throughout the land and there was no way she was going to get kidnapped by some adolescent boy or worse. Himeno vowed to never become a victim at all cost, especially not in front of her mother's grave.

If not for his sharp reflexes, the precise punch would have met his face. Hayate easily dodged the attack and created distance between him and the girl. He could have used the wind to stop her movements, but there was no need to use his power against a girl.

_I missed...he's fast. _Himeno knew that she was in a slight disadvantage wearing her dress shoes; her speed was reduced enough to miss and Himeno never missed her target. Himeno prepared herself for another attack. It was unfortunate that a rocky path separated her from her enemy.

Hayate caught the girl when she tripped while running on the rocky path. Only the wind had the ability to make it there in time. Her body leaned against his when he stopped her nasty fall.

"Are you alright?" Hayate asked. "There was no need to-"

A fierce and brutal punch connected his face, causing him to stumble backwards and releasing her.

"Pervert!" Himeno hollered. "Get away from me!" She poised herself for a fight. Her shoulders tensed up and she glared at him.

"Why'd you do that for!" Hayate hollered back with equal intensity. "Is that how you treat someone who just helped you? Ungrateful brat!" He rubbed his cheek. This girl's punch hurt.

"But you were trying to kidnap me!" Himeno protested.

"When did I ever say that!" Hayate infuriatingly stood tall and shouted back. "My business is with talking to you! Who said anything about kidnapping!" He couldn't believe the nerve of the girl. She wasn't normal and her reaction to the situations was so violent and aggressive. He saw an ugly heart and hated it. There was no way she could be the Pretear. A strong spirit controlled by such a dark heart meant death.

"You should have just said that you wanted to talk, you stupid idiot!" Himeno answered in defense. "How was I supposed to know that you only wanted to talk?"

Stupid idiot. He had been insulted many times, but this was the worst. Nobody had ever called him stupid, let alone an idiot.

* * *

_My my...looks like things are going to be easier that I thought. You'll never win using a maiden like that. Never._

* * *

"Mannen, there's too many!" Hajime exclaimed. "We can't stop them!"

"Damnit. Where is the Pretear when we need her? Hayate should have found her by now," Mannen grumbled. He hurled more ice lances towards the bats.

Go started a defensive firewall to buy time. He had ordered everyone to hide in their houses while Hajime enchanted the land with holy water to give them a better fighting chance.

"Guess I have no choice then, I'll use it to protect these humans," Mannen smirked. "Here goes nothing."

Hajime nodded firmly and started to fill the sky with water.

"Leave the enemies without mercy. Let their cold hearts be there downfall. I, Absolute Zero, call forth Ice Blizzard!"

All the familiars froze and shattered into back into emptiness. The local townsfolk were saved from death.

"Mannen!" Go and Hajime rushed to their commander. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I still got enough spirit to survive. I just have to get back and rest." Mannen collapsed to the ground. He had exhausted most of his strength to cast his strongest spell.

"I'll take him back home. Contact Kei about this. We have to let him know that Haidhis is much stronger this time," Hajime said to Go, while opening a gate. "And that we'll be needing to use the Prétear's spirit with our own.

* * *

Kei stared in disbelief. Shin just stood by him and worried over the situation. Eternal Motion apparently found the girl and was arguing with her. Not exactly the first impression they had been hoping for.

"Kei, should we intervene?" Shin asked. They were hidden in the treetops and had bird eye's view of the angel and the Pretear.

"No, let them be. Hayate will get over it. He's always been rather hot-tempered," Kei replied nonchalantly.

"But with a girl?" Shin pressed on.

"Everyone has a first time, Shin. Everything will work out fine according to my calculations.

* * *

"Idiot! You're the idiot!" Hayate blared out.

"Me the idiot! You're the one who scared me into attacking you!" Himeno hollered back.

Neither of them realized how close their faces gradually got during the argument. The sun continued to shine on the fated meeting.

"What person attacks a stranger?"

"What person catches a person who's trying to attack him?"

"Obviously an idiot!" They both shouted in unison.

The angry voices died down as both needed to regain their breaths. Himeno's face was flushed with a rosy pink and his face was shaded in several tones of red. Then their eyes met.

Himeno blushed and crossed her arms. "How do you know my name? Are you a suitor from some foreign country?"

_No...her heart is just confused...strength amidst sorrow…and…_

"The winds told me. My name is Hayate and I'm an angel from heaven." Hayate unleashed his wings and proved himself to her. "And you are the Pretear I was sent to find."

Himeno watched the endless white surround her. Warmth overcame her. She felt a soothing breeze brush against her skin and through her hair. It crept into her soul-the feeling of destiny.

* * *

Haidhis or Hades (Roman God of Death), a play on sounding like Saihi

Author's Notes: I tried to put out a strong introduction to the story and...it's not as good as I'd like it to be. This story will be alongside with 4m4e and it'll be a race to the finish XD (we'll see about that...). Well, it appears that I've got some minor stories to finish off before engaging on the major works p. And yeah, I'll be busy with finals for the next 2 weeks so don't expect much from me (unless I get pissed off from studying -).

Angels don't really have ages (not that I know...) since they exist outside of human time realm (time doesn't really pass since it's eternity in heaven...). To make things simple, this is a list of who's the 'oldest' to 'youngest' of the knights. I've even put numbers to make some sense of it all...if I had to give them a human age.

Kei (24), but looks like 12  
Shin (20)  
Mannen (19.7), Go(19.5), Hajime (19.2)  
Hayate (17)

A change in age and appearance, but the character is still the same. Shin and Hajime will take on more active roles in the story. Go will still beat on Mannen. Kei is still the wise-cracker and Hayate is Hayate . Wait a sec, I'm missing someone aren't I?...

Side Note: My ftp has been haywire on me for the past month and I was unable to update my website (extremely pissed off). If worse comes to worse, I'll start up an official account and create something new. I started writing a few other chapts for the other small stories and maybe they'll be up soon...


	2. The Pretear's Heart

Disclaimer: For the n-th time, Pretear belongs to Kaori Naruse and Junichi Satou.

KeyQuis: So many things to do, so little time. If my body didn't need sleep, I could do them all. Alas, I am human ToT. I haven't fully laid out all the chapters in this story so I don't know how long it will be...guess I just have to keep writing it.

**Chapter 2: The Prétear's Heart**

**

* * *

**

"Hayate, that is enough. Close your wings already."

"Kei. Shin." Hayate looked over at his leader.

Himeno snapped out of her daze as two other figures appeared along side the angel. The small boy smiled at her and the one with long blonde hair stepped forward.

"Please excuse him, miss. Hayate meant you no harm," Shin bowed and spoke out. "Do not be afraid of us."

Himeno took a few steps back and gulped hard. Sweat dropped from her forehead as her hands balled up into a fist. She poised herself for battle in spite of her immense confusion.

"Wh-what do you want with me? What are you guys?" Himeno nervously blundered out. "I ask that you leave before I...I..."

"Before you what? Be a brutish woman and beat us up?" Hayate snapped at her. "Honestly, we mean you no harm." He folded his arms across his chest. "Why won't you just listen to what we have to say before you use violence to solve everything? Geez."

"Hayate, that is enough!" Kei barked. "I do not tolerate your behaviour and attitude towards the Pretear. You should be ashamed of your manners, young man. I asked you to find her, not get into a fight with her. As an angel, you should know better than to get angry at a human." Kei sighed. "Now apologize."

Hayate bit his lips in silent fury. He didn't know why he lost his temper since he controlled his emotions so well. This human was different-she was so unexpectedly different.

"I'm sorry," Hayate said properly as he possibly could. "Please forgive my rudeness, Himeno."

Himeno didn't back down from her stance. "Apology accepted. And I'm asking you to leave. Please."

Shin stepped forward without fear. "We are Angel Knights, heavenly sent beings who's sole duty is to protect the land of Leafeania from the Prince of Darkness, Haidhis. And we need your help in our battle. We need your powers as the chosen Pretear."

"Are you guys some sort of cult? And what's this Pretear you're talking about?" Himeno inquired in full disbelief. She blinked a few times. "Wait...angels actually exist?"

"Yes, we do as a matter of fact," Kei answered. "Along with demons too. And the Pretear is a girl who has the power to enhance our fighting capabilities against Haidhis. You, Himeno, are the chosen Pretear."

"I don't buy any of this. This is just some crazy fantasy out of a fairy tale book. If you guys aren't leaving, then I am." Himeno dropped her fighting stance. "I don't believe any of this garbage talk about angels battling demons and needing the help of a girl. Go find someone else." Himeno began to walk away.

"Please don't leave." Shin rushed ahead of her and knelt down in a knightly fashion. "If you don't be our Pretear, then people will die. Particularly young girls will die."

Himeno stopped. "Listen, you don't have to make up crazy stories. Death isn't a laughing matter." Still, she was quite taken back at his desperate plea. "Please let me leave."

"Let her leave, I'll have the winds find someone else," Hayate said firmly in a crisp sharp tone. "She clearly has no intention of helping out others in need. You shouldn't have to beg to a human."

"So you're saying that the winds of fate were wrong? The winds blessed by God are mistaken? I believe she is the Pretear, regardless of her refusal to help us," Shin fought back. "She just doesn't understand the full situation yet-"

Suddenly, another angel flew down from the sky and fell hard to the ground. His wings were slightly battered and his body was wounded with cuts. Himeno let out a surprised cry at his appearance.

"Go!" Kei rushed over. "What happened to you!" He quickly used his healing light to tend the cuts

Shin and Hayate equally hurried over to their injured comrade. Himeno stood dazed at the situation. A part of her heart just couldn't deny the possibility that they were telling the truth. She watched them and their shouts of concern for the fallen one.

Go winced. "Never mind me. He's attacking a small town just east of this place. You have to save them!"

"Where are Mannen and Hajime?" Kei's expression changed from concern to pure fear and horror. "Are they alright?"

"Mannen's in heaven recuperating from the first battle. Hajime is holding out the second one right now," Go hoarsely replied. "Haidhis is really strong...we need the Pretear." His eyes rolled over to Himeno. "Is she the one?"

Himeno clutched her arms and her body shook in fear. Confusion left her speechless of the situation. She didn't understand a single thing that was happening. She snuck out of the house to visit mom's grave, got into a fight with an angel and was asked to help in their battle against something called the Prince of Darkness. She wanted to run away.

"What! Two attacks already!" Kei's brow furrowed tightly inwards. "Damnit, he's taken all that spirit already?"

Hayate stood up. "I'm going to fight."

"Without the Pretear? That's death, Hayate!" Shin objected. "Look at Go, you want to end up like him?"

"What choice do we have? I'll use my power to stop the attack," Hayate responded hastily. "We don't have a choice."

Himeno remained in her state of internal conflict as she watched the two angels argue. _I...why am I just sitting here? I'm scared because I don't know what is going on. Prince of Disaster, people dying, Pretear. I...I...don't know if I can believe them, but one of them is injured. It can't be an act. It can't be a lie. _There were a few things Himeno was sure about. _I can't just sit back and watch. I can't just do nothing. Mom would be sad. I can't turn a blind eye if people are dying. If there's something I can do, then I must do it. _Himeno found her true heart. _No, I am not someone who will turn her back on those who need help. I won't run away. _

"What can I do!" Himeno immediately stood up and blared the question at the angels. "I don't really don't understand anything of this, but it doesn't matter. If what you told me is true, then I won't sit back and let people die. People dying because I refused to help, I won't let that be!" Himeno huffed and stared at Hayate. "I'll be this Pretear that you need. Tell me what I'm suppose to do."

_Her heart has changed? Her spirit is radiating with life._ Hayate broke away from the argument and flew towards Himeno. _No...the winds weren't wrong._

"I'm going first, take care of Go," Hayate announced to his fellow angels before taking Himeno in his wind and flying off to the battle.

The other angels didn't even get the chance to stop him.

* * *

"Aiyee!" Himeno screamed out. One moment she was on the ground and the next, she found herself being held against the waist by the blue-haired angel while flying in the sky. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked while fighting off the urge to punch him senseless.

Hayate ignored her cries when he flew to the town. Speed was his specialty and time could not be wasted. The flock of familiars was larger than he expected. Hajime lay on the ground, beaten and lifeless. Many townsfolk met the same fate. The gruesome sight burned a deep fear inside of Himeno's heart and ignited her protective feelings. As if by natural reaction, she picked up a small stone and hurled it with all her might towards one of the flying creatures. She watched the darkness dissipate into the air.

"Take that you disgusting thing!" Himeno yelled. "I've got plenty more for you too!"

"Enough of that." Hayate grabbed her arm before she could pick up another stone. "Just give me your hand, Himeno." He extended out his hand and waited for her to answer.

_None of this makes sense, but I don't care. I just have to do something about all of this._ Himeno took his hand with fierce tenacity.

Himeno felt wind encompass her. Deep blue eyes bore themselves into her own. The wind pulled her into a lulling warm grasp, like an affectionate hug. Her eyes closed and she felt her soul glow with peaceful release of all fear and pain. It was the feeling of completion.

_WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BODY? _Himeno spoke with her mind.

_This is the power of the Pretear. You can merge your soul with an angel knight and share your spirit with his to increase his powers._

_Merge my soul! _Himeno panicked. _Where's my body!_

_Right now, you're inside of me. Kei can explain it to you later because there isn't time right now. We have to destroy all those familiars or those people will die. Their spirit has been stolen. _Hayate gritted his teeth and controlled the use of her spirit. _I'm going to borrow your spirit, Himeno. Stay strong and focus on giving me your energy._

Himeno's mind ran in all directions. What the heck was merging of the soul! Was something like that even possible! And she was in his body! Himeno wanted to puke out of pure disgust and beat him up. _This is so embarrassing! _

_You'll get use to it. _

Himeno cringed at the thought of it happening every time. _So I'm like an power booster of some sort? This merging thing happens each time I have to fight?_ Himeno felt a slight change in Hayate's heart. A feeling of a deep sorrow swept through her for flickering moment.

_Just focus on giving me your energy. Pretend that you are fighting the enemy as well and your spirit will naturally flow with mine. _Hayate created a wind barrier to prevent the enemies' escape.

_Take this! _Himeno dashed forward and imagined herself throwing a violent punch at the enemy. She let out another war cry.

Her spirit overpowered him and Hayate let his Winds of Destiny change itself into his ultimate attack, Endless Storm. A great tearing force ripped through the sky, like the combined effect of a hurricane and tornado. Piercing blades of wind sliced through the darkness in one swift blast, bring back the light of the sky. Through his eyes, Himeno saw the sparkling bright glows emerge from the once black cloud of death. She smiled knowingly that all the stolen spirit was returning to their rightful owners.

_So this is Pretear? _ Himeno felt faint inside. _I helped save those people...I don't feel so good. _

Hayate quickly unmerged their souls and caught her fainting body. "Himeno? Are you alright?"

Himeno smiled weakly before her vision blurred into blackness. Light snores crept out of her mouth. Hayate looked at her sleeping face and checked her vitals for life. There was breath and her heart was beating. Hayate found himself mesmerized by her peaceful features. Unconsciously, one finger lightly brushed her chin and then traced her soft lips.

"What am I doing?" Hayate removed his finger. He carefully cradled her sleeping body in his arms and waited for another knight to come.

Shin arrived soon after. "Are you both alright?" he asked Hayate when he landed.

"I'm alright. But hurry and take Hajime back to heaven for treatment. His spirit is very weak." Hayate motioned his head in the Water Knight's direction. "How's Go?"

"Kei took Go back right after you left with Himeno." Shin went over to Hajime and opened a gate back home. "We'll talk about her once everyone recovers, but for now, you are ordered to stay guard over her until further notice."

Hayate nodded in affirmation. "Understood. I doubt Haidhis can produce another familiar army in the same day so I'm not going to worry about another attack." Hayate fixed his eyes back on Himeno. "I hope not. She's in no condition to prét again."

"In the event he does attack again, I grant you permission to use your power."

"Understood."

"Anyhow, take care of her until Kei and I finish healing the others." Shin carried Hajime across the door and disappeared from the world.

"Easier said than done," Hayate muttered under his breath after the Light Knight returned to heaven.

* * *

_Curse you angel knights. I will have my revenge on you._

The figure loomed at his mirror of knowledge. "Enough for today. I will just have my seeds steal the spirit of lower life forms."

_I will plant disaster in all of your hearts and bring forth the deepest darkness ever known to mankind. _

A wicked smile spread across his face. His malicious jealous heart refused to spare his prey.

* * *

"Uhg," Himeno groaned. Soft silky sheets slid against her skin when she moved. "I'm in bed?" She lazily opened an eye. "Wasn't I out in forest?" She fumbled to sit up in her bed and yawned before leaving her bed to open the curtains and filling her room with light. "Was it all just a dream?" Himeno stepped out onto her balcony and stretched out her tired limbs. She looked at her hand and recalled her soul's warmth. "Was it really all just a dream?"

"Oh, you are awake Miss Himeno. My apologies for entering without knocking," Makoto quickly said when he opened the room door and found the young girl standing outside on the balcony. "You have been asleep since yesterday afternoon. Are you well, miss?"

"Eh?" Himeno turned around and greeted her servant. "Good morning, Makoto."

It took a brief moment for her still dazed mind to register his comment.

"What! I've been asleep since yesterday afternoon!" Himeno snapped around and ran to Makoto. "What happened to me?"

"Please calm down. You were brought into the house by a young man who had found your fainted body in the woods," Makoto replied. "Thank goodness. Your father was so worried when I had lost you from my under my watch. I must keep a stricter eye on you, miss Himeno."

Himeno looked away and walked back to the balcony. The sky beckoned her to look at it. Confusion wore itself on her youthful face. "It was a dream? But it felt so real...is it even possible for me to dream something like that?"

"Anyhow, I'll ask the chef to fix you breakfast. Please do not run off again." With that, Makoto left her to herself.

The clouds shifted themselves in the sky and a breeze swept across her balcony. Himeno vividly recalled her dream. Intense and beautiful shades of blue captured her thoughts. She remembered everything up until the parting of their souls.

"Hayate...the angel's name was Hayate." Himeno frowned and shook her head. "Oh well, it was all just a dream. Must be the stress and pressure that mom and dad were putting on me. Yeah, there's no way something like the Prince of Darkness exists. And Pretear, I don't know how my mind could ever come up with a strange word."

Funny noises rumbled from her stomach and she abandoned her thoughts to get ready for breakfast.

* * *

"Was it strange, Shin?"

"Kei. The battle was already over when I got there. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes," Shin proclaimed. "So fast..."

"Which means that she obviously is the Pretear. Only the Pretear can boost an angel knight's power to his max. But for a first time, it is strange," Kei stated. "We didn't anticipate for her spirit to be so strong. We'll confirm with Hayate when we meet up. He is watching over her, is he not?"

"Yes. And he'll use his power if there's another attack," Shin responded. Shin fed more of his spirit to Hajime.

Kei was resting on a bed of flowers. "Well, I'd like to finish off this battle as soon as possible. I don't want to end like the last one."

"We still haven't explained to her the full circumstances of the situation. We need her to fight by our side. We can't afford to lose such a strong Pretear," Shin protested. "Of course we want it to end quickly, but it is her choice. We can't force her to help us out. We haven't even fully convinced her." Shin got up from his seat and walked over to the bed of flowers. "She only decided to help us out because she saw Go. I think it was sympathy."

"I don't think it was sympathy," Kei objected. "Humans will feel sorry for those who are hurt, but to help out with your very life...it's more than a kind heart, Shin. I believe she will accept her one year fate as our Pretear." He sat up. "You will prét with her during the next battle and determine it for yourself. Experience what Hayate has experienced."

"Do you guys mind keeping it down? Go and Hajime need their rest," Mannen mumbled as he got out of his resting chamber. "So he found her?" Mannen grinned happily, "That's so cool." He plopped himself next to the Light Knight. "So, when do I get to meet her?"

Shin laughed lightly, "How are you feeling, Mannen?"

"Fine. I wasn't injured. Just used up a lot of spirit." Mannen flexed his arms to loosen tight muscles. "How was Hayate? He cool with everything?"

Kei narrowed his eyes at Mannen's childish attitude. "Learn to behave more mature in your words, please."

Mannen playfully stuck out his tongue at his leader. "Make me."

Kei ignored it. "Hayate. He seems serious about this battle. I really can't say much about his state of mind and heart. He's still obviously thinking about the past." Kei got off his floral bed and faced the Ice Knight. "In spite of that, I believe he'll fulfill his duty as an Angel Knight. He won't let us down no matter how much internal conflict he is facing."

Shin agreed with Kei. "Should one of us visit her now or wait until Go and Hajime recover and visit her as a group?" he asked his leader.

"I suppose I should go down and check on Hayate," Kei thought for a moment, "At least make sure he's getting along with the Pretear instead of fighting with her."

"Huh? Hayate fought with the Pretear? But the Pretear is a girl, right?" Mannen questioned, "I thought Hayate was nice to girls."

Shin smiled meekly, "Well, there's a first time for everything. It's kind of complicated. You really have to see it for yourself to understand why."

Mannen cocked one brow up. "Err, okay."

Kei put his hands on his hips. "You'd be surprise at how different this battle's going to be. The winds of destiny have changed this time around. Things are definitely going to be unpredictable."

"Why do you say that with such confidence, Kei?" Shin inquired. "How is the battle going to be different this time?"

Kei answered them with a small smirk on his face. "Because our Pretear isn't even of age yet. She's still 15."

"What!" both Shin and Mannen exclaimed out loud, waking up Go and Hajime.

* * *

"Good morning, mother. Where's dad?" Himeno briskly asked after finishing her breakfast with great speed.

Her mother had just entered the dining room from the study hall to check on her daughter. "How are you feeling? Your deep sleep had us all worried."

"I'm just fine. Must have passed out from all that stress and pressure dad was giving me." Himeno laughed. "Being forced to find true love and get married is a nightmare come true. You don't think you can convince dad to let me off, do you?"

"Sigh, your father is as he will always be," Natsue replied. "He's out in the garden working on something. Planning a romantic setting for your upcoming ball next week."

A dark gloom cloud loomed over Himeno's head. "Got it. I have no chance of stopping my fairytale crazed dad." She walked over and gave her mom a hug. "But thanks for loving him so very much." She let go. "I'll go see him right now."

* * *

_Pretear, the maiden of life. The one the Angel Knights need in order to defeat me. I will make her mine and destroy you all...especially you, Hayate. You will suffer the most._

* * *

"Himeno, thank goodness you're awake! You scared your poor father to death!" Kaoru shouted at his daughter when he saw her enter the garden. He ran over to greet his daughter with a warm hug, but was met with a brutal fist to the cheek.

"Don't try hugging me when you have dirt all over you!" Himeno yelled at her father's sudden surprise.

Her father sniffled, "You were sleeping so deep that I was going to find a prince to give you an awaking kiss. That would have been a fairytale ending for my beloved daughter."

Himeno felt veins popping up on her forehead and fists. "You...you...dare try something like that on me! Eww, that's so gross! What girl in her right mind wants to get kissed while she's sleeping! That's like sexual harassment! Any guy who does that should be dragged out into the streets and shot! Shot, you hear me!"

Mr. Awayuki covered his poor ears in her harsh onslaught. "But...it's more like true love, Himeno dear," he pitifully whimpered out in retort.

"True love my butt! You setting up the ball is bad enough!" Himeno argued in anger. "I don't want any of it!

"Sir, where do you want me to put this?" a voice spoke out, breaking the tension between the daughter-father pair.

Himeno's eyes went to the source of the familiar voice.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Himeno screamed and blared into front of his face.

Hayate winced at her sharp vocals and dropped the bag of dirt to cover his ears.

"Ah, Hayate. Just on time," Kaoru replied. "I thank you again for returning my precious daughter to me."

"YOU!" Himeno grabbed the collar of Hayate's working coveralls. "What are you doing here!" Himeno asked hysterically. "It wasn't a dream!"

"What wasn't a dream?" her father interrupted. "He found you by your mother's grave and brought your fainted body back to the mansion. Or did something more happen?" His eyes gleamed with fantasy. "You fainted at the sight of a dragon and Hayate dashed in as your knight in shining armor and rescued you?"

Himeno didn't hear any of her father's words. She was busy trying to get some answers from Hayate. "We beat the enemy, right! Are those people okay!"

"Must you be so loud in the morning?" Hayate scolded. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just found you lying in the woods and brought you back home before it got dark."

Stunned by his response, Himeno let go of his collar and stepped back. "So...it was a dream?" She refused to believe it. "You've got to be kidding me! I know it was real!" She aggressively yanked his collar once again.

Hayate stopped her pushy movements with a tight grip from his hands. "Excuse us for a moment, sir." He roughly pulled on Himeno's wrist and walked away from her father.

Mr. Awayuki stood in daze and wonder at the young boy who took his daughter away from listening range. He was curious why, but quickly found the two youths arguing at each other.

"It was real, wasn't it?" Himeno demanded. "And why are you here?"

"Will you be quiet already? Are you crazy? Talking about it in front of your father?" Hayate yelled in a controlled rasp. "All of it was real. You being the Pretear that we need to defeat the Prince of Darkness. It was all real."

"Nuuuu!" Himeno threw a wild punch that connected with his cheek. "That's so disgusting!"

"What was that for!" Hayate yelled loudly as he rubbed his reddened cheek.

Himeno squeaked out, "I was in your body! My soul joined with yours. That was so embarrassing!"

The conflicting pair was not wary of the expert's eyes. Mr. Awayuki stood afar and watched the two verbally fight with each other. He could only define it as the classic hate at first sight which would lead to, in his wild mind, spicy romance and everlasting love. The lovers' quarrel brought joyous tears to his eyes.

"How do you think I feel about it?" Hayate retorted. "It's not fun sharing my soul with a violent girl. I wouldn't want you in my body even if my soul depended on it."

"That's so totally gross! You're such a total pervert! Scumbag!" Himeno's eyes widened in realization to the implications of his words. "Ewww! I can't believe I shared my soul with someone like you!" she shrieked out, causing small creatures to flee from the vicinity.

Her father heard the words loud and clear. Needless to say, he tackled the blue-haired boy to the ground and demanded an explanation for his daughter's words.

"What did you do to my precious princess!" Kaoru demanded for an answer.

"Nothing!" Hayate defended. "I wouldn't do anything to a girl like that! Especially to someone like her! She's so violent, sir!"

"Hayate! Must you make a poor impression of yourself every time you meet someone?" a small boy shouted. "Don't disgrace yourself like that."

Kei stepped forward from the stony path and greeted the Pretear and her father. "My humblest apologies for my brother's rude behaviour. I will have Hayate correct his manners at once." Kei stared sternly at the angry youth. "Apologize, Hayate. You should know better than to treat a young girl with such brashness."

Kaoru got off Hayate and welcomed his new visitor. "Ah, I'm sorry to have gotten carried away. And your name is?"

"I am Kei. I'm sure it was all just a misunderstanding," Kei replied eloquently. "Hayate's never really been that great at handling girls."

Without thinking, Hayate blurted out more hot-tempered foolish words. "It's just tulip head over there that I can't stand! How can I be polite to such a vicious girl?"

"Who you calling tulip head!" Himeno never felt so insulted in her entire life.

"Hayate!" Kei shouted at his delinquent comrade. "Stop it! Don't make matters worse. Stop fighting with her and just apologize."

Hayate brushed himself off and glanced over at her. "Sorry, Himeno."

His quick apology surprised her. She didn't expect someone like him to argue with her so intensely and still apologize in a somewhat sincere manner. Truth be told, Himeno was feeling awfully horrible for her rude and violent actions towards him. Never had she displayed such foul manners to another person and she was ashamed of herself.

"I'm sorry too, Hayate." Himeno gritted her teeth. "I don't know what got into me this morning. I guess I'm just confused about yesterday, that's all."

"Don't worry, Himeno. I can explain everything to you when you have the time," Kei kindly responded.

"Um, excuse me. I don't know what's going on," Mr. Awayuki interjected. "If you don't mind me that is."

"Unfortunately, this is a private matter that involves your daughter. I cannot reveal the details, but I reassure you that it is nothing of that sort of nature," Kei answered. "Sir, may I speak with Himeno on this matter without interruption?"

Himeno regained a state of a calm mind and logically supported Kei. "Yes, father. It is nothing dangerous. I'm just helping them out with something. I completely misunderstood so everything's alright now." Himeno beamed a bright smile at her father. "Thank you for worrying about me though. You should get back to the ball planning."

"If you say so, Himeno. Hayate, I'll need you to work on some gardens today."

"Uh...Hayate works here?" Himeno asked while peering at the angelically beautiful boy.

"Ah yes. Hayate said he needed a job and out of gratitude, I hired him as my new gardener. He certainly knows the flowers well," Kaoru explained. "Tulips do suit you very well, Himeno," he added while holding in his laughter.

He grabbed Hayate and left before Himeno could snap and vent her anger in a painful manner.

"Tu-tu-tulip head! The nerve of that guy!" Himeno shouted out. "The only thing good about him is his looks!"

"I'm very sorry that the two of you started off on the wrong foot," Kei said in response. "I do hope for the both of you to get along better."

Himeno continued her angry glare in the direction of which Hayate fled in. The guy really knew how to get on her nerves.

"Back to important matters. There are certain details you must know about being the Pretear," Kei started.

"Miss Himeno? You have a guest?"

Himeno found her servant watching her with dutiful eyes. "Makoto! Perfect timing. I do have a guest. Please bring out some tea and baked snacks for us at the rose gazebo, the one with the glass settings."

"If you have Earl Grey tea, I'd much appreciate it," Kei requested.

Himeno looked at the very mature and mannered little blonde boy. He acted way too proper for his age, in comparison with that other guy.

"Will do, miss. I shall bring it in 5 minutes." Makoto left the garden and returned to the mansion.

Himeno led Kei to the rose garden and they waited for their snacks to arrive before starting the conversation. Her heart was filled with questions and his mind was filled with rules.

"Before you ask any questions, I must fill you in on the details on everything," Kei began. "The choice is yours to make...the decision in becoming our Pretear that is."

Himeno listened intently, with her heart opened.

"Firstly, who is the Pretear? She is a girl with the ability to fuse her soul with an angel knight and provide him with extra power in battling the forces of evil, namely the Prince of Darkness. When you merge your soul, your body loses its physical structure and becomes your soul. Essentially what happens is you share the natural spirit that everyone possesses. Simply to put it, the Pretear's spirit is considerably different and much stronger than a typical girl." Kei took a warm sip of tea and bit into a croissant.

Himeno nodded at him while chewing on her strawberry shortcake. Her eyes were fixed the golden radiance from his.

"Generally, the Pretears are girls who are of the age of 16, a time when their hearts are full of love and innocence. Their spirit manifests into boosted state and life radiates from their body," Kei continued.

"Eh, that's weird. I turn 16 next week," Himeno interrupted. "So I'm not a Pretear yet?"

"That's hard to say since you're the first Pretear we found who wasn't of age yet," Kei replied. "But that doesn't mean you aren't one. Just the winds of destiny changed this time."

"Winds of destiny?" Himeno thought back to yesterday. _The winds told me. I wonder if that has anything to do with this._ "Well, you know what they say. There's a first time for everything." Himeno smiled casually.

_Strange how her aura changes so rapidly. There are so many emotions...I wonder if she's stable enough to be our Pretear._ Kei moved from his thoughts to his duty. "Indeed there is." He didn't want to expand further on that phrase in any detail. "Regardless of that fact. The Pretear is usually a girl whose heart is set on finding love and -"

Himeno burst out in laughter. Her life was too full of irony.

"Ahem. I'm not finished yet," Kei sternly stated.

"Sorry, it's just that-"

"I know, your heart isn't set on finding love is it?" Kei plainly noted.

"Not that I know of. It's set on finding nothing at the moment. It just wants to be...never mind." Himeno shoved her feelings aside and fiercely ate a caramel filled bread roll. "Continue on."

"This is the most important detail of all, Himeno." Kei looked at her seriously. "If the Pretear finds her true love and grants him her first kiss, she'll lose her ability to prét-to merge her soul with an angel knight." He pressed, not giving her a chance to question him. "If the one she loves is a human, then it'll be fine for her. If it's a celestial being, then she'll lose her soul to him."

Himeno's eyes flew wide opened and crumbs of bread roll fell from her mouth. _Lose her soul!_

"Celestial beings includes the Prince of Darkness and lesser demons...and as well as angels. Celestial beings, their bodies have high affinity for the soul and spirit. It is like blissful warmth and food for the soul." Kei took in a deep breath before continuing. "You see, the Pretear is like a massive spirit booster for any celestial being. It raises the power and strength of one's heart. When used for good, miracles will happen. When used for evil, disaster will befall the world."

She was speechless. Fear and uncertainty grew in her heart. Being the Pretear wasn't an easy task.

"That's why you fainted after your prét with Hayate. Apparently, you gave him too much of your spirit and overpowered him. In effect, your body returned back to normal in a weakened state," Kei explained, hoping to remove the shocked look on her face.

"Kiss...why a kiss?" Himeno asked unknowingly.

"A kiss? All the Pretears have virgin lips. The theory or reasoning behind it is simple. Girls only kiss the one they love or should I say should only kiss the one they love. I'm sure you would agree that girls would only share such an intimate moment with the one they love, right?" Kei asked so matter of factly.

Shades of deep scarlet flushed her cheeks fully. The little boy had talked about a very sensitive subject. Himeno agreed with him, but it was embarrassing to admit it.

"There's nothing to be shy about," Kei added. "I don't know if that theory is actually the truth, me being an angel mainly, but I do believe that deep inside the hearts of all girls, that is what they want. To find the one they love and kiss him." He noticed the shades of red growing darker. "My apologies, I'll get back on topic. Why the kiss? It is the only way where the full effect of sharing ones affection can be seen...technically anyhow. Kissing opens up your soul and your spirit shares faster and kissing-"

"ALRIGHT! I GET IT!" Himeno blurted out, spitting out wet bits of food from her mouth to the young boy. "STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!"

Kei calmly wiped her salivated food particulates from his face. "You asked. I simply answered with the best explanation I know of."

Himeno downed several cups of lemon tea to regain her composure. _How can such a little boy say such things? How does he know a girl's heart?_ Himeno chomped on some chocolate biscuits and swallowed them tightly.

"Back to the Pretear. Once you give _it_ to the one you love, you are no longer the Pretear. This is the only way for you to 'unbecome' the Pretear. Then we will go seek the next Pretear and seek her help in our battle."

Himeno decided to just listen and not say anything. She let the words settle in her mind and eventually think hard on them afterwards. Kei tried his best to keep it simple for her.

"Fortunately, there is another way for you to stop being the Pretear without giving it away. Once you turn 17, your ability ceases to exist. You return to being a normal girl." Kei stared at the glow of his tea. "If you choose to be the full Pretear for the one year, then you must be prepared and willing to share your spirit for the safety and protection of mankind. Also, you'll be the target of many other lesser monsters aside from the Prince of Darkness, Haidhis. Your life will be in constant treat of danger and the risk is high. Evil will seek after your spirit and the Angel Knights are fully prepared to protect you at all cost." Kei stood up from his seat and stepped away from the table. His eyes remained focused on hers.

"I plead that you will consider being our Pretear so we can defeat the Prince of Darkness. Please lend us your soul, Himeno," Kei desperately asked as he bowed lowly at her. "Please Himeno, we need you."

Himeno stood up from her seat as well. The whole thing was still sketchy in her mind, but she believed him. The situation was a nightmare come true. She didn't fit some of the qualities for being the Pretear. The only trait she had was being an intense spirit booster. Her memory of the battle was not vague. She didn't share her spirit, she gave it all to him. Why? _If there is something I can do, then I must do it. No, I am not someone who will turn her back on those who need help. I won't run away. _Her feelings weren't of love and it didn't matter. Her heart had what it took to be the Pretear.

"Tell me, Kei. The Prince of Darkness will come after me, right? He'll want to steal my kiss and destroy the world, right?" Himeno needed to know the answer.

"He preys on the hearts of girls in love and disguises himself as a human to steal their spirit. Since your kiss holds the most power, he'll be after you for sure," Kei answered not understanding her question exactly. "He'll most likely destroy the world because that is what evil is."

"I can't let that happen." A soft breeze passed by the rose garden. "Because life is precious. I may not be someone who dreams of love, but I know that many people in the world do. It'd be selfish of me to not bother about their dreams, about their hearts." Her fingers lightly caressed the petals on a rose. "Mom would be sad."

Kei didn't know how to respond. The girl's aura glowed with a warm sadness, the kind where lost memories resurfaced. How many times had he taken on the burdens of being an Angel Knight all to himself so the others wouldn't suffer. Kei straightened himself and walked over to her.

"No matter how painful it may be, I have to do it." Himeno smiled softly at the rose in her hands. "I'll become the Pretear."

It had been a long time since he had a talk with the Pretear. There was still so much more to say to her. Kei knew that her path was harsh. Difficult trials and battles stained the past. He could never tell her the countless sacrifices that were made to keep Leafeania as it was. The hurt of the past lived on within him. A light amidst the darkness, those were the Angel Knights. Kei knelt down in a knightly fashion to grace his princess.

"Thank you, Himeno. I, Gracious Light, vow upon my heart and swear on my soul to serve and protect you," Kei proclaimed.

Himeno helped her knight up and patted him on the head. "I look forward to it."

* * *

_I only want to destroy the world because what I want isn't here anymore. _

* * *

Author's Notes: Nothing much except setting up the rules of the story and putting out more plot. I agonized over the details and I haven't finished yet...hence more stuffage in next chapt. I will get to all the formal introductions to the knights' titles too. Kei's character was fun to portray since I get to be dignified and sensible. Keeping the characters in major OC is a freaking must for this story because Pretear fans can enjoy it more. Mixing manga and anime sure is hard ToT.

Heh, expect some interesting character development for -cough-H-cough-H-cough.

KeyQuis: Just to share a bit of my thoughts on my fanficts. I put a lot of time and effort into them...a lot more than I actually expected when I first started. I just thought "It's just a story. Just write whatever I want and I'll be fine"...that is not the case ever since Only You came out. I reread it about 4 times and I see mistakes that make me cringe and want to try harder. I end up pouring my heart out when I'm writing. I laugh and cry with my stories. **So** when I get reviews that tell me to one of the following: **update, more, hurry, please, **I admit to being a bit scared and happy. Scared because I have to live up to expectations and happy because people actually like reading my stuff. But it's fun. LOL, it really is fun. So I'm thanking all those who read my works. Knowing someone read it is a joy, having the person review it is a bonus to the joy XD. And sorry for my slow$$ update. Chapter 3: May I Have This Dance?  
O.o? What could possibly happen in the next chapt, eh?

And for those wondering about 4m4e, I had to reorder the plot, sequence of events and change some chapters so I haven't gotten to writing the new chapter yet. More details about it when I update Scene 3: A Deal With the Devil.


	3. May I Have This Dance?

KeyQuis: This is gonna be a long chapt. Nothing I can really do about it. I failed quite a few of my midterms (3 outta 4, with one more to go . ) and I really could careless since I'm tired of looking at equations and reading theory. Wow, it feels like forever since I last wrote a full size chapter…a 15 000 word count at that too.

Quick note. I'll be making a very interesting reference to another anime series. I hope readers will enjoy the bizarre cameo appearances. Get ready for some laughs amidst the action...and romance. Light fluff heading your way-I'm dishing out some HxH action.

**Chapter 3: May I Have This Dance?**

**

* * *

**

The sound of the waters brought forth the solitude he sought. The waves crashed against each over in an aimless dance. His eyes watched as the they swayed, twisted and twirled with each other. The winged-figure took in a deep breath and released it out a deep sigh. There were too many things on his mind.

"Your angelic stature is looking rather human, Hayate. Careful now," an elegant voice spoke out.

Hayate kept watching the ocean and didn't bother turning his head to face his comrade. "What are you doing here, Shin? Shouldn't you be in heaven helping Kei or something?"

"I'll you the same question. You're an Angel Knight, just like the rest of us. You have duties too. Can't just run off to Leafeania whenever you're in a foul mood," Shin replied, trying hard to not sound like a scolding father.

"I'm not in a foul mood," Hayate snapped, "I just needed to get out and think about everything. Clear my mind, you know."

"Hayate...please don't make things difficult for us. Kei's worried about you." Shin took a seat next to him.

Hayate gave him an empty look.

"Pssh, whatever. I bet he still thinks it's all my fault and he's just hiding it to make me feel better. Duty first, feelings second," Hayate grumbled as he picked up a stone and threw it out towards the horizon. "I'm only needed because I have command over the all the winds of creation." His voice was bitter and cold.

"That's not true. Kei has never blamed you! You're the only one blaming yourself. Mannen, Go and Hajime don't blame you either. I don't. Stop thinking that it is your fault because it isn't!" Shin shouted in protest. "Everyone of us was created for more than just being Angel Knights. Just because your circumstances were a little different than normal...you think you're not worthy!"

Hayate clenched his teeth. The past was a sensitive subject for him. He didn't want to wake up and now that he did, he was forced to confront his feelings and himself again. "I...don't want to be me anymore."

"I know what you're thinking, Hayate." Shin laid back and watched the clouds move. "You think that your kindness will kill her and that history will repeat itself. I'm not blind, you're facing inner turmoil. Caught between who you really are and who you think you must be. I believe in being yourself. Changing your true nature isn't healthy for you," Shin gently said to his neighbour. "Don't hate your kindness."

Hayate plopped on his back as well. He felt the soft grass beneath his uniform. "Yeah...but my kindness killed him," he whispered softly. "Sasame died because I was too young and let my feelings control me...I can never forgive myself." Sorrow and guilt swept through his body, consuming him in coldness. "She was killed as well."

Shin let a moment of silence pass before speaking his thoughts. "No, it was an accident. None of us meant for it to happen, it just did. Haidhis appeared before us in heaven without warning. Sasame sacrificed himself to protect Takako."

"He was doing his job! I left Takako alone because...I couldn't stand to be near her...she mistook my kindness for love! She loved me but I had none to return. I shouldn't have run away, but I did. If I didn't, Sasame wouldn't have died. She wouldn't have died too!" Hayate held in his tears of guilt. "I let him down after all he's done for me. It's all my fault, Shin."

Shin said nothing. He could only listen to Hayate's anguish voice.

"Damn it, I don't know what to do. I don't want to be nice to Himeno. I want her to hate me as much as possible so the same thing won't happen again."

"You will do no such thing, Eternal Motion!" A brilliant flash of light struck both angels in the face and blinded both for a painful instant.

"Kei?" Shin sat up and rushed to his feet. "What are you doing here?"

"I asked you to retrieve him and you did not make a quick return." Kei glared at Hayate. The small boy was not pleased with him. "Get up, Eternal Motion."

Hayate hesitantly obeyed his leader. "Look, I was just..."

"Talking foolish nonsense," Kei finished for him. "How could you even think of making Himeno hate you? Do you find much pleasure in having her aura stained with the blood of hatred? Under no such circumstances will you do such a thing. You will behave accordingly as an Angel Knight and her protector until the time is up."

"You want history to repeat itself!" Hayate shouted at Gracious Light. "I can't handle another death on my account."

Kei slapped him with a stroke of light. "Don't be so arrogant. Only time tells the future, not you. You are no seer, no prophet. You are an Angel Knight. You guard the Spirit of Life that resides in this world. Himeno has already agreed to becoming our Pretear. Her wild aura will make her angry at you, but she will never hate you. Don't force our Pretear to do something that is against her will."

Hayate rubbed his stinging cheek. "I'm afraid that she'll fall in love with me, just as Takako did. I can't return those feelings."

Kei grew fed up with the young angel and slapped him on the other cheek. "Fear is nothing more than the unknown future. You are afraid of something that will or will not happen. Foolish child, dispose those negative thoughts. If you are afraid, then kindly tell her up front that you do not want her to fall in love with you. Himeno will undoubted get angry at you for saying something she never even considered. She's not looking for love. She just wants to stop Haidhis from destroying love for other girls."

"Huh?" Hayate gingerly massaged his other cheek.

"You never mentioned that when you came back from visiting her." Shin's eyes widened with disbelief. "How could you leave out such an important detail."

"Because it wasn't necessary. I thought Hayate had gotten over the past, but he didn't. Now that you know, please don't go assuming that Himeno is like Takako. Just because they're both girls, doesn't mean they're the same person," Kei scolded. "Plus, Himeno thinks you're a jerk. The winds of love aren't going to start flowing anytime soon."

Shin nodded in agreement. Hayate stood there feeling like a complete and total idiot.

"You're letting those dark emotions of doubt, fear and guilt get to you. You should know fully well that God does not hold the past against you if let it go yourself. Learn your lesson and move on. Do you think He would be happy if you got traded your kindness for bitterness? That would insult Sasame just as much," Kei continued, lecturing the young angel on Sasame's behalf. "Evil is turning what is good into something other than its intended purpose. It is destroying what is meant to be protected. Hayate, don't let the past destroy your present. The history of Angel Knights is filled with tragedies. You are not the only one who has sinned."

Hayate felt his spirit crumble to the intensity of Kei's radiant one. Gracious Light was indeed blessed with the wisdom granted by time and space. He had lived so much longer as an Angel Knight and Hayate felt foolish for even questioning his ability as the leader.

"I'm sorry," Hayate mumbled.

"Pardon me?" Kei asked with a slight hint of smugness in his smile, "I did not hear you. You must learn to speak with more clarity."

"I apologize for my foolish behaviour. I will correct my actions and attitude towards our Pretear," Hayate stated firmly, trying to sound resolute.

"Good. The barrier I cast for her will phase out soon. I want us to gather up and formally introduce ourselves to Himeno. Mannen and Go have made perimeter watches around the property. Hajime should be finished with spirit purification in the area." Kei brushed a loose gold lock from his face. "I will go there first. Shin, get Mannen and Go. Hayate, you will get Hajime."

Wordlessly, Hayate disappeared from his leader's sight to inform Hajime of the meeting.

"Do you think he'll be alright with what you said?" Shin asked. "His aura still feels unstable."

"No, but I'm going to hope he will be. For all of our sakes and hers too," Kei honestly replied. "Why do they fall in love with the wind, anyways?" he added in a quiet voice.

"Maybe it's fate?" Shin suggested, trying to relieve some distress in his leader's mind.

"Fate is a funny thing, Shin," Kei chuckled. "It doesn't like being on my side."

* * *

Himeno nervously poured lemon tea for them. The whole group of Angel Knights had arrived, two whom she had not met. She had secretly brought out cookies and other delicious items for the angels. It was a busy time, but she managed to escape the house to meet with them. Kei's illusion light made sure no one saw anything.

"Do help yourselves to some food," Himeno gestured to the knight with messy snow frost white hair and light glassy blue eyes.

"This is awesome. It's a real treat to finally meet you, princess. The name's Mannen, Ice Knight of Absolute Zero." He voraciously put a slice of blueberry pie into his mouth and licked his fingers afterwards. "This...is...so...good," he cheekily said with food still in his mouth.

Himeno nodded and smiled in return. She caught a glimpse of Kei's expression of dissatisfaction. Clearly, he was not impressed with his fellow knight's poor display of etiquette.

"Mannen, it's rude to speak with your mouth full. Look, there's crumbs and cream drooping out. That's disgusting," said the angel whose hair was shades of fire. The ends of his hair reminded her of flames that burned without control. Himeno remembered him as the one who was injured on that day.

"Um, how do you do? Are you recovered?" Himeno asked, pointing in his direction."

"Mannen, you're going to choke if you keep stuffing your face with all those delicacies!"

"Stop nagging at me. The Pretear's talking to you, bird-brain!" Mannen obnoxiously put a few more cream puffs in his mouth.

"Oh! Sorry. What was that?" The angel glanced at his princess.

"Have you recovered from your injuries?" Himeno didn't know what to make of the weird situation. Clearly, these two were an odd bunch. It seemed as if fighting with each other was a daily routine.

"Ahem!" Kei coughed. "Remember, we are here to introduce ourselves. Not to fatten our bodies with such sweet foods."

"Always gotta kill the fun," Mannen muttered under his breath and took a long sip of tea instead of grabbing a handful of cookies.

"Oh I'm sorry. I've recovered just fine thank you. The name's Go, Fire Knight of Blazing Justice. It's a real pleasure to have you as our Pretear," he cheerfully said. "I will do my very best in serving you." The red head gave Himeno a happy grin and a thumbs up. "Hey, I wanted that piece of strawberry-banana meringue cake, Mannen!" He jabbed his fork into it, stopping his comrade from lifting it onto his plate.

"I saw it first, Go! Besides, if you wanted it, you should have taken it first," Mannen shouted and stuck his tongue out at Go. "It's mine, now let go of it."

"You've already filled your grubby face with God-knows-what. Save some for the rest of us!" Go refused to budge his fork.

"I bid you two to stop!" Kei walked over and removed both their forks from the cake slice. He ate it for himself as the two stared in shock at their leader.

"What the...," Mannen started.

"Silence. Must you display such immature behaviour in front of our Pretear. Aren't you the least bit embarrassed for your squabbling over a slice of cake?"

Silence did fill the air. Himeno made a mental note that Kei held a very high degree of authority in the group. She found it strange that the little boy with golden hair had the air of an adult, a very respectable one too.

Go pouted at the loss cake slice and went for another piece of dessert. Mannen took something on the opposite end of the serving tray.

"Hajime, it's your turn to introduce yourself," Kei monotonously stated.

Himeno followed Kei's eyes and looked at the angel who was eating a chocolate parfait topped with assorted nuts. His hair resembled the colour of the sun setting from the horizon of the vast ocean. His wavy curls were in hues of bronze and orange and two long strands framed the sides of his face. His eyes were like the very waves of the ocean, the infinite shades of blue and green were all there.

"Kei, you introduced my name for me...that wasn't fair." His voice sounded broken hearted and his face looked showed it.

"Sorry, but let's make this quick. I need to discuss things with everyone afterwards. I can only create an illusion for so long."

Himeno noticed the beautiful blue-haired angel standing to the side, without any interest in joining the others for food. Hayate was off on his own little serene corner.

_Jeez, that guy pisses me off. He acts like a royal jerk of a prince. Thank God he's not the only one I have work with. If I have to pret with him every time, I'll go mad. But still...I can't help, but feel a little sad just looking at him. It's like he's not part of the team. Like he's rejected or something. Like he doesn't belong..._

"I'm the Water Knight of Blessed Spring." A voice broke her thoughts. "My name is Hajime. It's an honour to meet you, my princess. I will guard you with my life. You can count on me."

It was enough. Himeno flustered up at all the gravelling comments. She was no royalty and the title of princess was sickening to the stomach. Formality was never her forte and this princess-knight stuff was starting to get cheesy.

"Enough already!" Himeno vented out loud. "Stop calling me princess and just tell me your names! I'm no princess!"

Silence filled the air once more. Mannen and Go stopped eating, Hajime choked on whipped cream, Shin spilled his tea and Kei blinked a few times. One of them remained unfazed.

"This is our way of formalities, tuliphead. No need to get upset and angry over anything," Hayate replied coldly.

Himeno stood still in her spot. His dark gaze held her in place. The shade of the tree darkened his features, but she could still make out his eyes. Deep and dark blue like the night's sky. She couldn't advert her eyes from the enchantment.

"Hey!" Himeno snapped and stomped right up to him, glaring at him with the meanest look possible. "My name is Himeno. Hi-me-no, jerk."

The others stopped what they were doing and watched the confrontation. Kei mentally groaned at what was to come.

"At least I didn't call you princess, tuliphead," Hayate smirked, challenging her to make a comeback.

It was strange. Name calling and teasing was not in his nature. Hayate couldn't explain himself, but it felt kind of good to pick on someone like her.

_She's so much like you..._

His thoughts were abruptly stopped when a brutal and violent force rammed itself on his face. Himeno had given him a hard right jab without warning. Hayate would have fallen to the ground if his wind hadn't stopped him. Damn, she packed an inhuman punch. The other knights just stared at what just transpired-their princess had launched an assault on her knight. The irony was too much for some to contain.

"AHAHHAHHAHAHHAHAH!" Mannen wailed in laughter. "Oh my God! Did you see that?"

"Whoa, did Hayate just get beat up by Himeno?" Go grinned so wide that his mouth could have fallen off sideways. "Looks like the Wind Knight is defeatable in a fight."

Hayate picked himself up. Never had he suffered such humiliation. She had pummeled him to the ground with one simple punch. Even if it was a cheap shot, the fact that he was hit to the ground didn't change.

"Fine, do whatever you want! With an attitude like hers, it's a death pret. Count me out!" Hayate glared menacingly at Himeno, pouring out anger from his aura. "I would never call someone like that my princess." With that, he unsheathed his wings and flew away from the scene.

* * *

_Wonderful...everything will be fine. This will be the last generation of Angel Knights... Your Pretear will kill you all if she keeps that up. Hayate, everything will be your fault. Everything will die because of you._

_I will destroy all of Leafeania._

* * *

Himeno's heart crumpled to the ground. It happened again. She had gotten into another argument with Hayate. Another disastrous encounter with the Wind Knight. She hid her turmoil. Hurting someone else was a painful feeling.

"Himeno?" Hajime spoke up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Himeno covered up with a soft smile. "Looks like I made a mess of things with him again. I'm sorry I made him disappear like that."

Kei released a loud sigh and shook his head. "I apologize on his behalf. Eternal Motion has been in a rather foul mood ever since the Prince of Darkness returned. Please excuse his rudeness, Himeno."

"Don't trouble yourself with Hayate," Shin answered. "He doesn't stay angry for long."

"I mean, he shouldn't have called me tuliphead! He deserved it for teasing me," Himeno stated in her defense. "He should know better."

Mannen nudged Shin in the arm. "Yo man, you're the only one left who didn't introduce yourself."

Shin flustered up with embarrassment. "Oh my, please excuse me. My name is Shin, Plant Knight of Earth's Hope."

"And I am Kei, Light Knight of Gracious Light. We are grateful for your willing cooperation." Kei sat up from his seat and bowed. The others followed right after.

Himeno was in awe at the little one's display of rich manners. "Wow, you speak so much more maturely and eloquently than everyone else. That's pretty impressive for a young kid."

Mannen burst out into a fit of laughter, even more so than with Hayate's little commotion. "God, she thinks you're a young kid, Kei. That's so funny."

Himeno's face had confusion written all over it. She didn't think she said anything wrong.

"Mannen! No blasphemy in His name," Shin hastily scolded. "Please conduct yourself better as a young Angel Knight."

Mannen couldn't resist retaliating with a smart comment. "If I'm young, then Kei must be ancient," Mannen smugly replied.

Go gripped Mannen in a very hard headlock. "Can't you ever act mature, you little punk."

"Hey! I'm older than you are. Don't call me a little punk, you little punk."

Himeno blinked a few times before opening her mouth to question them. "Just how old are all of you...angels...anyways?"

Shin was about to reply, but Kei spoke up first. "A valid question from the Pretear. As you know, we aren't humans. Celestial beings exist outside your respective frame of time and space. As Angel Knights, our existence came into being probably around 1000 years or so according to your calendar. We were created due to the arrival of new demons of darkness that came to this land. The Pretear herself has existed since the beginning of humanity. We search for her spirit whenever the Prince of Darkness revives himself. Sometimes he returns within the year and sometimes over a 100 years. We get called off from our natural duties when that happens. There's probably been around 100 generations of Angel Knights that have been called into battle."

"Psh, she asked for your age, not a history lesson," Mannen muttered to himself after freeing himself from Go. "I'm in my 27th generation as a knight."

"So what's that in years?" Himeno asked.

"No clue," Mannen replied flatly. "I don't keep track of time well."

"I'm in my 25th," Go proudly stated.

"I'm on my 21st," Hajime added.

Himeno looked at Shin and Kei who looked at each other nervously. "How about you two?"

Shin looked at his feet, "I'm on my 53rd generation."

Himeno felt her jaw drop to the ground. "You're that old!"

"I know it's a bit shocking, but we've been around for a long time. I'm currently in my 100th generation as an Angel Knight. You can consider me as an original." Kei stated calmly.

"100th!" Himeno's head was spinning at the three digit number. "100th," she repeated.

"Himeno, please note that each generation just means a different battle, a different Pretear for each one. So each generation doesn't have equal time," Kei added.

"You're old!" Himeno shrilled, "So old, but you look like you're ten years old!"

"I can explain that too. Due to the outcome of the last battle, my body was reduced to a child's body so that I would live. Spirit is our life, it maintains our body. If we use all of our spirit in battle, our body no longer retains its original form."

"Oh..." Himeno paused, "What happened to you?"

"Details of the past generation are irrelevant, Himeno. What is important is this generation," Kei answered. "The past is of none of your concern."

"Um, okay then." Himeno let the subject drop.

_The past...it's always a sensitive subject. Sometimes...it hurts to remember what happened. It hurts to know what's precious to me is no longer with me now...it's all in the past...the unreachable past._

"How about Hayate? How old is he?" Himeno popped out of curiousity.

"He's the youngest, only on his 2nd generation. It clearly explains his lack of manners."

* * *

"How's Hayate doing?" Shin inquired his leader. "It's been a few days now."

"He's still working at the mansion under her father's command. I must say, he's using his wind spirit a little too reckless. So far no attempted attacks from lower class demons, but he could give her position away if Haidhis is searching for her. It's a good thing we got to her first." Kei massaged his throbbing temples.

"You work too much. You need a break."

"I'm the leader, I don't get breaks. And I've been doing this for a long time already. I'm use to it."

"If you say so...but take it easy once in a while."

"I wish I could if the world wasn't at stake. I don't have the privilege of relaxing knowing that the fate of Leafeania lies in my competent leadership. Plus, this body is very spirit efficient."

"Don't you want to return to your real form?"

"No, not really. There's no need to yet."

"Haidhis's powers are expected to be at least three times greater than the last one. We need you in your true form," Shin pleaded.

"Light shines most brightly when darkness has consumed everything but it. The time for me to return back into a full fledged Angel Knight is not now. It will come though. What's the progress report for Mannen, Go and Hajime?"

"Mannen has successfully become a waiter for the event. He'll be on the lookout for suspicious guests. Go has successfully become part of the catering team for the event. Hajime has successfully signed himself up as an entertainer of water magic so to speak."

"Magic does not exist, water is the perfect illusion medium. And Hayate? What of his status?"

"Not sure...I haven't been able to reach him, the mansion is extremely large and he's been busy preparing the landscape. The flowers keep saying he's in constant movement. But I'm sure he'll make it through to reception for the household to greet the guests."

"And Himeno?"

"No comment, she's been in a furious state for the past few days. I dare not go near her fit of rage. She seriously opposes the ball."

Kei chuckled to himself. "Even if Haidhis does get a hold of her, I'm sure she'd give him a good beating before being taken as a victim. She'll be fine with her feisty aura."

"And I am in disguise as a prince from a far away country. An uninvited guest of the party," Shin completed. "Are you going to be okay doing the night hunt by yourself? I don't have to go to the ball if you need my help."

"I'll be fine. It is my 284th generation. I'm a pro when it comes to slaying demons. My staff of light hasn't failed me yet."

"Understood. I'll be off then. In a few more nights, all hell will break loose for her spirit." Shin opened the gate and left.

"Hasn't failed me yet, eh?" Kei questioned himself. "Not entirely true."

_I poured all my spirit into my staff and I still couldn't save Sasame. I couldn't save Perfect Harmony._

* * *

"Hayate, you're a genius. My mansion looks like a royal palace!" Kaoru beamed at the young lad. "Everything looks so perfect. It truly is a castle fit to be for a fairy tale. How can ever thank you?" Tears of pure gratefulness ran down the man's face.

"It was all my pleasure sure. Since Himeno is helping my brother out, it is my honour to repay the debt," Hayate stoically stated.

"Which reminds me, what is it your brother does?" Kaoru questioned. "I mean, to need my daughter specifically seems strange."

"Believe me sir, I find it strange as well. Himeno possesses the traits one cannot easily find in most girls. She was the only one who could help him out."

"Hmm..in what?" The father pressed on for more answers.

"In saving the world. My brother has a notorious habit of making girls help him out every time his world is in trouble. It's nothing more than a childish game he plays. Boring if you ask me." Hayate removed his work gloves and took a seat on the stairs.

"Ah, but childhood does not last long in one's life. He should cherish it before it's gone. Oh well, I'm glad my daughter is occupied with something fantastical."

"Pardon me?" Hayate didn't quite get the man's thinking. "Fantastical as in..?"

"As in fantasy. She no longer believes in happy endings or fairy tales coming true. She threw away all her dreams when her mother passed away. That was 10 years ago. Ever since then, Himeno's heart has been lost. I'm sure it still longs for the love her mother talked about in bedtime stories, but as time goes by, I'm worried if she'll still have a heart for love."

Hayate said nothing. The man had just shared Himeno's past with him, something that Himeno might not have wanted anyone to know. He understood the pain of losing a mother.

_It seems strange, doesn't it...mother? All of this, meeting someone like her. I understand her feelings._

"I understand what you mean. My mother passed away when I still a young child of 6 years old. I miss her bedtime stories." Hayate's expression softened at the mention of his mother. "I miss her a lot."

Kaoru noticed the change in Hayate's features. His eyes seemed to glow and the corners of his mouth lifted into a small smile. He looked like a little boy looking back on the good old days.

"I'm sure you and Himeno will get along eventually. Your fights will end when you both realize that there's nothing to get angry about. Though I do find tuliphead to be a very endearing nickname."

"Wha?" Hayate brought himself out his mind and back into reality. "Oh what was that sir?"

"Never mind. I'm just commenting on how your relationship with Himeno is an odd one. The two of you seem to fight every time you meet. I just don't get it. What did you do to her?"

"We had an unpleasant first encounter. I stumbled onto her while she was doing something important and she got mad at me. She wildly lashed out at me thinking I was some crazed kidnapper. I don't know who'd want to do such a thing, but yeah, that person wouldn't live very long given her fighting abilities."

"Did she pummel you good?"

"Yes. It hurt. My little brother intervened and well, here I am." _I can't believe I'm lying like this. _

"Didn't start off on the right foot...I see." Kaoru conjured a plot in his mind. He was determined to put the two together or at least make it so they wouldn't be at each others throats every time they met.

"My mother would be angry if I hurt a girl so I can't exactly retaliate at full strength," Hayate added to salvage a bit of pride. Being beaten by a girl hurt was not something he imagined he would ever have to deal with.

"I bet you thought your mother was most favourite person in the world when you were a little boy," Kaoru commented, "Your face lights up when you think about her."

Hayate paused. He didn't know to respond to the remark about his mother. No one had ever asked him about his mother except for Sasame. And that was a long time ago. Hayate just smiled in response.

"Ah, that reminds me. Do you have anything to wear for the ball? I would very much like you to attend," Kaoru asked in a mellow voice.

"Ah...I don't know." Hayate looked rather dumbfounded. "I'm a part of reception in welcoming the guests. I'll be attending...won't I sir?"

"Oh, I meant attending the actual ball, Hayate," Kaoru explained innocently. "It's a masquerade where everyone should be in costumes. It'll be a fun night and besides, reception won't be that long. You must join in the action and dance the night away with beautiful young ladies." Kaoru's face shone with imagination.

Hayate shrunk back under the man's scrutiny. The older man was kindly forcing his crazy thoughts to the young lad.

"Sir, I...a...do not wish to be a part of the dance," Hayate lamely replied. "I...have no costume. Yes, I have nothing to wear to the ball, sir." Unfortunately, the reply came out very wrong for Hayate and Kaoru interpreted it in his own fashion.

Kaoru's eyes sparkled and dazzled with joy. "My dear boy! I must save you then. I shall be your fairy godmother and suit you up in the most extravagant of costumes. You shall capture the attention of all the fair ladies at the ball and -"

Hayate's jaw dropped. "Sir, it is your daughter's birthday! Not mine!" Hayate exclaimed, holding his hands out to defend himself from the man's madness. "There is no need to-"

"Nonsense, my boy. Just because it is her birthday doesn't mean that everyone else can't have fun. I've invited people of all royalties and societies. No one is excluded. The ballroom's construction is finished and many will attend. It will be a night of magic."

_You mean madness. Her father's mouth is worse than her punch. _

Before Hayate could protest, Kaoru grabbed him by the arm and whisked him away into a secret little attic.

* * *

"Oh Himeno, it will be perfect!" Her literature teacher proclaimed with devoted passion. "It's just as in the romantic compositions of the past. An evil creature will appear when the clock strikes twelve and a mysterious hero will save all the fair ladies from being eaten. He will capture the princess's heart and steal her away into the darkness. Oh, the romance of that one night will be a taste of what is to come for the-"

"AHHH!" wailed Himeno, her scream echoing throughout the library hall. "Enough! Stop! No more! No more! I can't take anymore of it! Ahhhhhh!" Himeno covered her ears and buried her face in her book. "You're even worse than my father, Miss Yayoi!"

"Tsk, tsk. How many times must I repeat myself. No formal titles with me. It makes me sound old, Himeno." The teacher brushed a stray lock of her honey brown hair to the side and fixed her large round glasses. "I can't believe the time for your coronation is tomorrow! Sigh, you children grow up so fast."

"Shut up! It's not my coronation. It's my 16th birthday," Himeno retorted. "I'm no royalty."

_God, why is this happening to me. Everyone is making such a big deal of it. I'm sick of the whole thing. I just want a normal celebration with my family...I don't want the whole world to attend. This sucks._

"Himeno, it is time to live out those dreams of love and-," Yayoi began.

"Hell no! I threw all those dreams out 10 years ago. Mother's not here to see any of them come true anymore! Just quit bothering me with father's ideas." Himeno angrily swept her book off the table. "I hate all of this. I don't want to live my life how others want me to. It's not fair," Himeno bitterly expressed her thoughts. "I hate being something I don't want to be."

Yayoi watched the poor little girl slump in her chair. She had been her teacher since she could speak at the age of two. Himeno was like a niece to her. Yayoi taught her the great masterpieces in the literary world, heavily influencing her with romantic works. However, that was a long time ago. Now, Himeno would only read pieces filled with death and epic adventures of heroes. Yayoi could only pray for the day her heart would lean towards love and happiness again. She pitied the young girl who locked her dreams up in a black box.

"Yayoi. I'm sorry for screaming at you, but please understand that I've given up my dreams," Himeno sighed as she picked up the fallen book and straightened out the pages. "I'm grateful that everyone wants the best for me, but I don't want it. I don't even know what's best for me. I don't know what I want."

"I'm sure you know what you want." Yayoi packed up her teaching notes. "You just need to realize it. Admit that what you want is what you're most afraid of getting...love."

Himeno frowned. The whole thing was an insult to her personal life and intelligence. "I'm not afraid of love. What makes you think I'm afraid of something like that."

"Because we all are. Someone you love is precious to you. No one wants to lose the one they love. No one wants their loved ones to die...but it happens anyways." Yayoi took off her glasses. "We're all afraid of losing someone precious, are we not?" She looked at her student, knowing fully well that Himeno could not refute her statement. "Are we not?"

Himeno furrowed her brows and clenched her fists. She couldn't say no to it and the truth cracked the walls around her carefully guarded heart. Her resolution would break if she didn't fight back. _No, I will not change my mind. I will not submit to their dreams. I will not be crack under their pressure. I'm the only one who will stand up for myself. I can only depend on myself. They don't understand anything._

"Oh, do excuse me. I have an appointment with my father," Himeno lied. "I shall see you tomorrow, teacher." Her voice was crisp and cold.

Yayoi watched the young girl make a quick exit out of the library. She knew she couldn't give up. The previous mistress of the house was counting on her.

* * *

"This is so not fair, why couldn't I be the unknown prince? I wanted to dance with Himeno," Mannen whined to the Fire Knight. "I'm stuck serving drinks all night."

"Hey, stop complaining. At least you're not stuck in the kitchen all night," Go grumbled as he roasted the turkey with his open flame. "Kei's making it so that we can protect her with the least commotion as possible. Putting our spirit into the food is ingenious."

Mannen put on a sour face. "Bleh, I get to keep the drinks cold. He sure knows how to make us work hard." He reached for an apple and Go slapped his hand.

"That's for sauce. Don't you dare think of eating my ingredients." Go glared at Mannen. "And shouldn't you be out there working instead of hanging out in my kitchen. Sheesh."

"I really rather be hunting with Kei. At least that's more fun than serving these humans." Mannen jumped off his seat and grinned at his comrade. "But orders are orders. Must protect His precious creatures. See ya. And don't burn yourself."

"Same to you too. Don't get drunk or else Kei will have your head."

Go carried on basking all the meats with his fire. If all went well, any masked demons would get either sick from his food or be instantly burned by his flame. Hajime's water illusion would take care of any mishaps that should happen.

_I wonder how Hayate will deal with everything. He and the princess still ain't on friendly terms the last time I checked. Honestly, he should be hunting instead of Kei. Hayate's so much faster at killing demons than all of us combined. What was Kei thinking making Hayate her primary protector? He's still conflicted with his past. He could screw the whole mission up if he isn't careful. I swear, I don't know what's going to happen anymore. Our Pretear's aura is so strong that I'm almost scared of preting with her. From what happened the first time, her spirit overpowered Hayate and he instantly killed off all those demons. That's what Shin said. When she turns 16 tonight...I don't even want to know what her spirit level will be at._

"Excuse me, but is the turkey cooked yet? The second team is ready dress it," an assistant from the next kitchen asked. "Wow, it smells wonderful in here."

"Yes, this chunk of meat is ready for the final finishing touch. Take it away and I'll start on the rest." Go eyed the rows of meats lying on the tables, waiting to be cooked. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Hayate nervously checked in all the guests. He could hardly contain his anxious state after the incident in the attic. Some things were better left unsaid and that was a prime example of one of them. He was dressed in a very simple black tuxedo outfit, with his hair tied back in a braid, courtesy of Kaoru himself. Hayate agreed to his mad plan for the sake of kindness. He hated to admit it, but going to a ball was something he had always dreamed of. To watch people dance, sing, celebrate and have fun all night-the mere thought of it excited him.

_Mother. Father. I can't believe this is happening to me. I'm actually at a ball, a masquerade one too. I'm even dressed up as a gentleman and later on I get to dress up like him._

A familiar face came to the reception. He looked extremely nervous.

"Shin...are you alright? Your face looks a little pale." Hayate watched the Plant Knight nervously sign himself in and place Himeno's present on the table.

"I'm...fine...I just...feel...sick. This costume Kei suggested is not to my liking. I feel like a tree in it." Shin pleaded with Hayate, "Trade places with me, please!"

Hayate glossed his eyes over Shin's outfit. It was very prestigious and eye-catching. His over-robe was adorned with a tapestry of green and gold. The thick layers of cloth looked cumbersome.

"You look like a tree. Nice costume. Must be heavy. Where's your mask?" Hayate asked teasingly, "I can't let you in without a mask."

Shin showed off his mask of leaves. "Come on, be nice. Hayate, you have no idea how much I want to wear our uniform."

"I do. If I wasn't a servant of this household, I would. Besides, Kei isn't here to scold you if you change into it," Hayate hinted. "Plus, I don't think you'd be able to dance very well in that hideous mass of cloth."

Shin scowled at the comment. "Yeah, you're right. I'm changing out of this for sure. I shouldn't have listened to Kei's suggestion. Looking mysterious was a stupid idea."

"I'll say. Get in there and have some fun now," Hayate said with a slight smile on his face.

The smile took Shin by surprise. It was warm and kind...and rare. "I will. Thanks. Have fun too." Shin waved bye and entered into the large halls.

"I will." Hayate returned to his duties, waiting for time to pass. He could hear the music starting up in the main concourse.

* * *

_It's too quiet tonight. I guess I have the guardian angels to thank for doing their jobs too._

Kei only ran into a few drifting minor demons that took a mere instant to destroy. He found it extremely suspicious that there weren't more lurking in the land. The only explanation was they were all gathering at the ball.

"I'll only head back if they call. I guess make more runs around the land."

_I know he'll show up at her ball. Haidhis wouldn't miss her spirit. But would he be foolish enough to attack with all the Angel Knights protecting her? He can't be that strong._

* * *

"Miss Himeno? Your father requests your appearance in the main hall."

Himeno ignored the voice coming from the the other side of the door. All she could do was stare distastefully at the dress hanging on the mannequin.

Makoto knocked on the door. "Miss. I'll be coming in to bring you down then." He lifted the key to her room out of his pocket.

"No you can't!" Himeno cried out. "I'm still changing!" She frantically dove under her bed.

Makoto didn't heed to her call and opened the door to her room. "Miss. How can you still be changing? It's been well over an hour since the start of your preparation. You are making the guests wait." He didn't see anyone in the room. "Himeno?"

She froze underneath the safety of her bed and behind the covers of her sheets. She heard his footsteps approaching to her hideout

_This is so embarrassing. I'm hiding under my bed. This is so childish, but I can't wear something like that. That dress isn't fit for someone like me. _

Makoto knew where she was. He could hear her tight small breaths coming from under her bed. Plus, the washroom door was opened and she couldn't be in there. He walked towards her.

"I know you're down there, Miss Himeno. Please come out. I do not want to pull you out from underneath your bed."

Himeno did not budge a single inch. "I do not wish to wear that dress. Find me another one."

"I'm sorry. There are no other costumes for you to wear. Your father really wishes for you to wear that one."

_But that's the dress mom made for me when I was little. Who altered it to fit me now!_

"Yayoi," Himeno muttered. "Only she could do something like this." She scurried out from under her bed. "Bring Yayoi in here. I request her assistance."

"As you wish." Makoto smiled. "I do believe the dress will suit you perfectly. It will make you the center of all attention. And your father has called off all suitors asking for an audience with you. He would like you to enjoy yourself on the dance floor with whomever you wish." He took her hand and lightly kissed the top of it. "I do hope you would honour me with just one dance, my lady."

Himeno reeled her hand back like lightning. The soft kiss on her hand made head dizzy and her heart stop for a brief moment. She could describe it as vampiric, a kiss that lured a prey into submission. "Um, I will be happy to give you one dance. Please find Yayoi as fast as possible." She suppressed her rising blush.

"There's no need! I'm already here!" A bubbly voice rang throughout her room. "Just as expected, you need my assistance." Yayoi confidently stormed in with a bag of accessories and other trinkets. She dropped the bag by the dresser and ushered Makoto out of the room. "Now be gone, I cannot have your eyes lavish the princess before she is ready."

Makoto chuckled. "Will do. I will wait for the chance to dance with you, Princess Himeno." He winked at her before leaving and locking the door behind him.

"Hmm, charming servant isn't he?" Yayoi joked while watching Himeno control her blush.

"I was...just...taken off guard!" Himeno stammered. "It was nothing! Don't start up any of your crazy ideas now."

Yayoi lightly touched the fabric of the dress. "This will look beautiful on you."

"Why did you alter it?" Himeno questioned sharply. "My mother made it for me when I was young. How could you take it and modify it for me? You had no right in doing such a thing, teacher."

Yayoi sighed. "I acted according to your mother's wishes, Himeno. She asked me to fix the dress up for your 16th birthday as she wanted to do for you."

"Mother...wanted to do this for me?" Himeno didn't want to believe it. "Are you lying to me?"

"Oh heavens no! I would not lie on such a matter. Your mother left me instructions before she ..." Yayoi didn't want to finish the sentence. It was sad enough just remembering the final moments with her dearest friend.

"If it's on mother's orders, I'll obey." Himeno began unbuttoning her current dress. "What's in the bag?"

"Jewelry your mother left for you. This is her present for her most beloved daughter," Yayoi said most sincerely with tears in her eyes. "Please have fun tonight."

Himeno eyed her costume again. The details were all there. It was simple with every pearl was in place. Himeno recalled the story of the princess who wore such a dress. The forbidden romance between the Princess of the Moon and the Prince of the Earth and how their love lived on through the millenniums even after their tragic deaths. It was her first and most favourite bedtime story of them all. Himeno remembered the whole story from start to finish, Every sentence was vivid in her memory. Her passion for reading was incomparable with her young age. She could never forget the ending of the story.

_And they were united in their new reincarnations. Even without the past, their hearts still found each other. Even with their new names, they were the same person from the beginning. Time could not change their destiny, it brought them together. The second chance that many never received, these two were blessed with. Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion's love lived on for all eternity, their story continually being passed on from generation to generation. Happily ever after never ended._

"Let's suit you up now Himeno, Princess of the Moon." Yayoi's smiled beamed with renewed determination. "And see if your prince shows up."

"Alright, let's do this." Himeno happily obliged, letting go of her resolution. She gasped out loud when Yayoi brought out a wig from the bag.

* * *

Mannen kept his laughter to himself. Shin should have known better than to wear his knight uniform to the ball. Aside from the fact that the mask was rather hideous in his opinion, Mannen thought the mysterious man disguise worked quite well...too well. Shin was drowning in a sea of eager females wanting to dance with him. Mannen blamed it on Shin's luxurious long blonde hair. Why the Plant Knight kept it that long was beyond his understanding.

Shin's dizziness increased with each step. He had lost count of the number of ladies who danced with him. The twirls and swaying finally caught up with his stamina. He made pleading faces to Mannen and Hajime to trade duties, but his comrades just gave him the thumbs up and cheered him on.

_I really think...I'm going to be sick. I have to get out NOW. Some friends I have...they won't even trade spots with me._

Shin abruptly stopped to apologize for his sudden need to use the water closet, or powder room or bathroom. Somehow he escaped the crazy clutches of his female fans and made a mad dash for freedom.

Mannen wanted to go back into the kitchen to inform Go of the current situation, but had too many drinks to serve. He scanned the dance floor for Himeno. Her arrival was either terribly postponed or something happened to her.

_Where is she? She should have been out at least an hour ago. And where's Hayate. He better not have taken her away to guard her for himself. Those Wind Knights always have terrible habits of protecting the Pretear all too well._ Mannen mentally slapped himself. _What am I getting worked up for? Hayate's not going to do something like that. Not this time. Still, where is he? I haven't seen him all night. Reception was way over an hour ago. _

Then he spotted his comrade over by the masters of the house. Her parents were talking with Hayate.

"Huh? What is going on?" Mannen noticed Hayate in a very formal suit with flowing cape on the back. He also wore a white mask that covered only the eyes. The shape curved like two feathers with their tips outwards. "How come he's got dancing privileges?"

_More importantly. Why is he conversing with her father? What is Hayate doing? _

Mannen was unaware that a pair of watchful eyes was upon him. The darkness lurked cleverly in the light.

* * *

"Please go get my daughter, Hayate," Kaoru requested. His wife smiled at the masked young man.

"Oh my, is he the one who decorated and arranged the floral setting outside and laid out the main interior design?" Natsue added with full interest. "Oh my, aren't you a handsome young man tonight."

Hayate could only keep his true feelings to himself at this very strange predicament. He brushed all his weird thoughts to the side and focused on his task.

"Very well, sir. But may I ask as to why you want me to go get her?" Hayate asked politely, "Isn't Makoto her watcher?"

"Ah, but I'm sure you'll come up with a better way to get her out of her room."

Hayate's face was a blank. He had no idea what the man was suggesting. How did he get stuck with taking care of that vicious little brat!

"Hmm, besides you are much more charming than Makoto. You will make a much better escort for our daughter. Plus, I heard that you can handle her aggressive actions. It is much safer with you." Natsue gave the boy helpful hints with a few bats of her eyelashes.

Hayate wanted to refuse. He only agreed to being a part of the ball because of the costume he was to change into during the latter part of the ceremony. It was an outfit he had dreamed of wearing ever since he read that story. It was his mother's most favourite story and it became his most favourite as well.

"Understood." Hayate was about to leave when Kaoru presented him with a rectangular box.

"Take it out and give it to her. Call it a present from you. Girls like gifts, Hayate."

Kaoru's smile gave him the creeps. Whatever in the box couldn't be a good thing. Hayate headed for the stairs and headed towards her room. The mystery item was no longer a mystery.

_He...can't be serious. I have to give her this as my gift?_

The single red rose smiled at him with its full bloom of petals.

_I can't give her this!_

He tucked it away into a pocket of his jacket.

ioioioioioioioioioioioioioio

_Hmm, what an interesting turn of events. Revenge will be even sweeter when something precious is at stake. I will make history repeat itself in the worse way possible. I can't wait to fill the land with sorrow._

_

* * *

_

"Himeno, don't be ridiculous. You look perfectly fine." Yayoi smoothed out the ends of the wig.

"I can't believe you made this," Himeno exaggerated. "I can't believe you made this for me. It's...it's.."

"Perfect. You look almost exactly like the Princess, except for the hair colour." Yayoi carefully put the tiara on Himeno's hair.

Himeno looked in the full-scale mirror. She had to admit, she looked very pretty tonight. It was her mother's wish. Himeno smiled at her reflection. "Hmm, I guess you're right. I'm glad this is a one time event too because tomorrow I'll be kicking myself for looking this embarrassing."

There was a gentle knock on the door that interrupted the moment of vanity.

"I'll go get that." Yayoi opened the door and found an incredibly alluring man at the door. His black tux and white mask combination took her breath away in an instant.

"Um, is Himeno ready yet? Her father requests her presence in the main hall," Hayate asked the female in front of him. It was then that he grew nervous about his looks.

"Aiyee Himeno! He's here!" Yayoi squealed in a high pitched voice. "Oh my God, he's here!"

_It's exactly like the story. A mysterious man dressed in a simple tux greeted the princess. He charmed the room with his presence and ..._ Yayoi really felt the limits of her imagination break into endless insanity.

"Stop screaming, it hurts." Himeno turned away from the mirror. "Who's here?" The voice at the door didn't sound like Makoto's.

Hayate cautiously stepped into the room. He caught sight of long white silk trailing the carpeted floor and his eyes moved to meet its adorner. His breath caught in this lungs when he saw her.

"Holy! What happened to your hair, tuliphead!" Hayate hollered in shock. It came out louder than he intended it to be. The worse part was he blabbered them out without even thinking of the consequences.

"You!" Himeno's eyes flared up in anger. "How dare you insult my hair, you jerk!"

Again, he opened his mouth without thinking. "You have a pair of dumplings or meatballs on your head."

_The nerve of this guy!_ Himeno furiously stormed towards him, but tripped from a careless step.

Yayoi watched with great glee as she watched the masked man catch the falling princess. His swift movement caught her easily. Himeno was safe in the arms of her unknown prince. _His eyes draw her in. Her perfectly shaped lips opened to speak, but no words came out. It was as if their love existed before the beginning of time._

Hayate acted out of pure instinct. Honestly, he reacted without thinking. His body naturally moved his legs in one quick stride. She fell right into his arms, her body snuggly held up against his own. Her hands spanned on his broad shoulders and her head leaned into his chest. His arms wrapped around her back, comfortably gripping her waist. His legs stood firm, supporting her trembling ones. Their position lasted for a few mere seconds.

"Pervert!" Himeno pushed Hayate away and threw a quick punch at him.

Hayate easily dodged her reckless strike and took a few steps back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to...insult your hair. I couldn't help it. It just looked so funny." He tried hard not to laugh. "I'm sorry, Himeno."

Himeno raised a questionable look at him. "You truly sorry?" _Wait...he called them a pair of dumpling or meatballs. No way..._ Himeno gave him a stern look that threatened his well-being if he wasn't sorry.

"Yes, Himeno." He unknowingly smiled softly at her.

_I can't believe she looks like that. Mother, I want to laugh my heart out. It's just like from your favourite story._

Himeno straightened herself up. She patted down the folds of her dress and looked at Hayate. She had been too angry to pay any attention to his outfit. He literally took her breath away. She couldn't describe the tingling feeling in her body. She couldn't remember the last time she paid attention to the male population. He was good...great...gorgeous? How was one to describe 'eye candy at its best?' Himeno said nothing.

Hayate folded his arms across his chest. "Well, are you going to come down yet or do I have to forcefully drag you out of your room?" Hayate grew impatient. "Are you always this slow? And where's your mask?"

All those positive thoughts about Hayate quickly disappeared. Himeno glared at the good-for-nothing-except for looks-jerk standing before her. She made a mental note to pull out some special karate moves on him tomorrow when she didn't have to be in such a fancy dress. Himeno held her head high and walked past him. "I'm not suppose to wear one. Well, are you coming?" she haughtily asked and held out her arm for him to take.

Hayate said nothing. He kept an unwavering gaze on her eyes, trying to figure out the girl. Himeno was an enigma he wanted to know more about. Wordless, he looped his arm through hers and led them out her room, leaving Yayoi in her fantasyland. Himeno glanced back at her teacher and smiled. They walked in silence until Himeno decided to speak up.

"Hayate, why are you dressed up as well?" Himeno fumbled out in curiousity. "I mean, you don't look like the type to...dress up. No offense or nothing."

"Your father forced me to join in after all the garden work I did for him. He insisted that I...dance with the ladies." Hayate blushed lightly as his answer.

_Why did I say that! Idiot! That came out so terrible. Dance with the ladies!_

Himeno stopped walking and laughed, "I can't believe you got suckered into father's fantasyland. I feel sorry for you." Himeno dopily grinned. "Dance with the ladies. I bet you don't even know how to dance."

Hayate felt her aura shift. It was stable before he entered the room, flared out in all directions when he insulted her hair and finally it settled into a fuzzy warm and soft state. She was as she was suppose to be.

_Alright, I've got to keep her aura always in this state. No more teasing her and getting her mad. Why is it that I want to tease her anyways! It doesn't make sense even in my mind._

"I was taught how to dance, but I never had the chance to," Hayate replied.

Himeno peered up at his face, trying to make eye contact.

"If tonight is my only chance, then I'll take it...even if I shouldn't." Hayate's eyes met hers. "Even if I don't get to dance, I'll be happy that I tried."

Himeno sensed a deep sorrow just from looking into his eyes. It felt different than that time during their pret. "Don't worry. If my father says that you will dance with the ladies, then you will. He's the kind of person to make things come true, if you know what I mean," Himeno said, trying to encourage him. "If not...I'll dance with you." Her cheeks flushed to a light pink. "Just don't step on my foot and I won't hit you tomorrow."

Hayate was suddenly taken back by her kindness. Her aura radiated perfectly and his spirit wanted more of it. He felt the curse of his celestial body flowing through him. "Thank you, Himeno...my princess," he jokingly added.

* * *

Kaoru's eyes fixed themselves to the top of the long staircase. It had taken a bit longer than anticipated, but his daughter finally arrived. Hayate did not fail his expectations and he was much pleased with the results. He watched the masked boy take carefully escort her down the stairs, across the dance floor and to the podium. He noticed that the rose was not given to his daughter.

"Ah, there you are. Your beauty is astonishing, Himeno," Natsue complimented, "She would have been very proud of you."

Himeno twitched at the mention of her mother. "I know she is."

Hayate removed his arm from hers and retreated from the spotlight in a stealthy fashion. Her father was too focused on her to notice him leave. He noticed Mannen signalling him to meet up.

"Himeno! You're growing up so fast! I can hardly believe you're 16," Kaoru wailed happily. "I will announce your arrival now. Your party will officially start as of now."

Himeno tilted her head to the side and found that Hayate had left her side. "When did he...never mind," she murmured to herself. She found herself searching for him amongst the crowd.

_Where'd you go? Why'd you leave without telling me? Hayate..._

* * *

"Yo, what are you doing?" Mannen looked furious. He led them both out into the empty hallway, away from the crowd.

"What do you mean, Mannen?" Hayate looked confused.

"Dressed up like that, I mean." Mannen ran a hand through his messy white locks. "Look, I don't get what you're doing. Are you planning to dance for fun because I don't recall that as your duty. You're suppose to be watching for any signs of his appearance."

Hayate frowned bitterly. "Look. I'm doing this out of her father's request. He wanted me to join in for helping him out."

"Helping him what?"

"Decorating the place. I worked hard for him, can't I get a break?" Hayate sounded annoyed. "It's no big deal if I dress up, is it?"

"Whatever. You're just a young kid anyways." Mannen didn't care too much for the Wind Knight. "I know you've been through hard times and all that, but don't mess this one up. Kei's counting a lot of you."

"Mannen, don't put things that way. I'm trying hard to not screw everything up. I know the situation doesn't look too good, but please that I'm not trying to make it worse," Hayate pleaded to the older angel.

"Hayate. I'm just looking out for you. I worry because you worry. I know you didn't want to ever wake up because of what you've done. Kei forcefully pulled you back into something you never wanted to be a part of anymore." Absolute Zero tossed Eternal Motion a serious look. "I just don't want Kei on hassling on your case."

"Mannen..." Hayate never knew he cared about him. "Are you...going to tell Kei?"

"No. I'm not." Mannen grinned. "I want you to do me a favor though."

"What?"

"Dance with all those fine ladies in there," Mannen cheekily asked.

Hayate's face spoke for him. He didn't quite get the favor.

"You are so dense sometimes. You're dressed for the night so dance the night away. Dance on my behalf. I don't get to the chance to have fun like you do." Mannen smiled. "Go out there and have fun, kid."

"Mannen..." Hayate didn't know how to thank his comrade.

"Geez, you talk too much. Get in there and don't disappoint me. Don't make me repeat myself." Mannen blew some snow at Hayate's face. "Or I'll freeze your pretty wind face."

Hayate didn't like the smirk on his face and nodded. "Out of curiousity, where's Shin? I thought he was suppose to be on the dance floor. Did something happen to him?"

"You probably don't wanna know. And he'll be too embarrassed to tell you himself. It's quite funny what happened." Mannen was about to tell him the details, but Hayate cut him off.

"It's okay. It's probably better off that I didn't know." Hayate gracefully windwalked his way back to the ballroom.

Mannen stretched out his arms and wandered out onto a balcony for fresh air. The cloudless midnight blue sky twinkled with many stars. He spoke out to the heavens.

"Hey God, I hope everything goes well in this generation. I can't stand to lose another comrade. It hurts too much," Mannen whispered out. "And thanks for the full moon in the sky. It looks beautiful."

* * *

Himeno gave her first dance to Makoto, much to her father's surprise. Kaoru watched all his guests enjoy themselves. He was pleased that he increased the number of invitations for the event. The atmosphere was filled will laughter and happiness, including love. He spotted Hayate dancing with an unknown maiden and secretly smiled to himself. He was glad he played fairy godmother tonight. The title of fairy godfather didn't quite fit into his liking.

"Himeno's having fun," Natsue commented. She pointed to the bright smile on Himeno's face. "I'm so happy for her. And the dress is absolutely breath-taking."

"Ah, but there will be more to come. Her knight has yet to make his appearance." Kaoru's eyes sparkled with mischief as he took a sip of red wine from his goblet. "He will come for his princess."

"Whatever are you talking about, dear?" Natsue felt as if her husband was up to some trick. "There's no one here dressed up in shining armor unless you..."

"I do. Rest assured. Her birthday will be unforgettable."

"I believe you." His wife stood up. "How would you like to dance with a lady such as myself?"

"I wouldn't trade it for the world." Kaoru stood up. "Let's do."

* * *

Hayate's body swayed naturally to the music of the small orchestra. He gently led his partner, his steps perfectly guiding the unknown female. All his movements were graceful and melodic. The lessons he learned as a child were all coming back in this one night. He finally experienced the act of dancing and it was thrillingly fun. Hayate cherished the time he spent with his 5th dance partner. Tonight was the only time he had.

_Mother...this seems so surreal. I'm dancing. It's just like you taught me. I'm amazed I still remember how. I'm having so much fun that it hurts. I'm happy...even if I'm being foolish._

Himeno finished her dance with Makoto and looked unhappy. She thought she could dance, but the first dance proved her wrong. She had stepped on his feet a few too many times and he was too much of a gentleman to stop dancing with her. Makoto's mouth was gritted into a smile that concealed his pain.

"I'm so sorry that I'm terrible. It's just that I haven't danced...before...," Himeno admitted truthfully. "I learned, but I never got the chance to practice."

"It's okay, I'll be fine. It was a pleasure to have the first dance with the princess of the palace."

"You are too kind, Makoto." Himeno sincerely hoped she didn't cripple him with her clumsy movement.

"Look, there is another gentleman who wishes to dance with you. He's been waiting. I shall take my leave now. Do enjoy yourself." Makoto bowed.

Himeno thanked him and painfully watched her servant wobble away. She turned her head to meet her next dance partner. He took off his mask for a brief moment to reveal his identity.

"Shin," Himeno gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"To dance with you of course. Shall we?" Shin held out his gloved hand and waited for her to take it.

Himeno happily obliged, but deep in her heart she was hoping it was a different knight. She quickly scanned the room for Hayate and couldn't find him.

"Don't worry. We can't pret unless we have to. I have to force my spirit to absorb yours," Shin whispered to her ear.

"I totally forgot about preting." Himeno looked at his mask. "Your mask looks like a bunch of leaves. And...your costume looks rather angelic."

"I'm wearing my uniform actually. The costume I originally wore was ugly," Shin replied. He twirled her once by the wrist. "Your dress is a magnificent piece I must say."

"Thanks." Himeno wondered why Hayate didn't compliment her dress at all. He made fun of her hair, that inconsiderate jerk.

"Ow." Shin felt her heel slam onto his right foot.

Himeno's face filled embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! I haven't danced before."

"Don't worry about it. I've had plenty of lessons in heaven. I can help you out." Shin was about to tell her the basics of foot movement until he felt another accidental misplacement of her heel onto his left foot.

Himeno shut her eyes. "I..I'm sorry I can't dance." She stopped her feet from lifting another inch off the ground. "This feels so bad."

Shin kept the negative thoughts to himself. The heel felt like a ton of bricks for some reason but acted more like a very piercing nail. "Are you wearing glass heels by any chance?"

"Yes..." Himeno answered sheepishly. "It hurts doesn't it."

Shin nodded in affirmation. "Don't worry, I'll help you out."

"I'll try my best to learn." Himeno redoubled her efforts with great determination. She had always wanted to dress up pretty and dance the night away. It was frustrating to not be able to dance the way she wanted to. To dress as a princess and not being able to dance like one. A long lost dream was making its way into reality.

Mannen took a sip of chilled white wine and lazily watched his two comrades waltz with a fair maiden in their hands. More truthfully, only one of the two was waltzing. The other one was hopping, lopping and staggering. It wasn't before long when Himeno decided to let Shin go and accepted another masked man's offer to dance. He watched Shin hobble over to him.

"Care for a drink? It's pretty good, Shin." Mannen held out a glass of wine. "All chilled and ready to serve."

"You should know that I don't drink, Mannen." Shin took the empty seat next to the cool waiter. "My feet are killing me."

"I'll say. How many times did she step on your feet?" Mannen took another sip of wine. "Besides, at least you get to dance. I'm a little sad so I'm drinking." Mannen grinned and faked his drunkenness. "Don't tell Kei."

Shin leaned back in his chair. "So far so good. Hajime's doing a very good job of entertaining the guests in his little corner. And Go's cooking was better than I remembered."

"And who knew Hayate could dance like that? Talk about Eternal Motion. He hasn't stopped at all." Mannen pointed in Hayate's direction. "I wish I could dance, but I have no body coordination whatsoever."

"Yeah, I never knew he could dance, but I guess that it runs in the wind generation." Shin sighed in resignation. "He's not doing his duty. It's a good thing Kei's out hunting tonight or he'd be in trouble."

"You better not tell on him. Let the little one have some fun." Mannen request sounded almost like a threat and a plead at the same time.

"I won't. His spirit is flowing with such warmth. I'd hate for it to go cold."

"Same here."

* * *

Kaoru grabbed him off the dance floor and pulled him away from the crowd. Hayate followed the man into the awaiting change room.

"It's time." Kaoru turned on the lights and removed the manteau covering the armor. "What a miracle that it fits you just perfectly."

Hayate knew that he should have declined the offer to wear it those several days ago. He knew that if he wore it, he would have never wanted to take it off. But it was his childhood dream to don such a fine piece of attire. He remembered the name of the prince who wore it to a magnificent ball, one much the one he was attending.

_It's just this one night. I'll never get the chance ever again. Please God, let me have this one night. Let me be human for one night. That is all I ask of you._

"Alright, I will leave you to change. I'll set everything up for you. Poor Himeno needs someone to dance with. The armored boots will save you." Kaoru happily left the lad to himself.

Hayate heard the door click shut behind him. He had caught a glimpse of Himeno's face before leaving. The poor girl was in a near state of tears. Her spirit was devastated from her inability to dance properly. If it was one thing Hayate couldn't stand, it was a girl's crying face.

_I'll help her out. She is our Pretear after all. Mother...for one night, I get to be him. It's funny too. Because Himeno is the Princess of the Moon, just like the story. I'm going to be her Prince Endymion, but I'm not going to fall in love with her. I don't want a happy ending in my life...because I don't deserve one. It's cursed for an Angel Knight to fall in love with the Pretear, isn't it...mother?_

_

* * *

_

Himeno bit on her lips as she sat down in her father's chair. It helped her contain the tears the threatened to flow down her pretty complexion. The past hour of her life had been a horrible experience. Makoto was the most fortunate of all her dance partners. Shin tried his his best and her worse came out. She felt guilt for each other gentleman who danced with her out of pity. The night wasn't suppose to turn out like this. She wanted to run away and cry for her crushed dream.

_I feel so foolish. I should have never came out. I should have never dressed up so pretty. I let myself down. I'm a terrible princess. Mother...I can never be like you. I can never be admired like you. I'm just a crude._

Suddenly the lights went out. Cries of surprise rang out.

Mannen and Shin rose out of their seats. Hajime quickly rushed to join their sides.

"Is it him?" Hajime asked with his eyes looking out for any signs of Haidhis.

Mannen squinted his eyes in the dark. The assortment of candle decorations dimly lit the room up. "I don't sense him anywhere."

A spotlight appeared around Himeno. She froze in fear as all eyes were cast on her. Her father walked over to her and pat her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "Everything will be fine."

"What's going on?" Himeno frantically grabbed her father's hand. "Why is the light on me?" She unconsciously gripped his hand in a tight lock hold that was near bone breaking.

"Himeno...let go...you're hurting me," Kaoru whimpered.

She immediately let go and nervously clasped her hands together an let her father carry out whatever he had in mind.

"Ah, I must thank you for all arriving and celebrating my daughter's birthday. Tis been a wonderful night for all, I hope," he loudly announced. The guests gave him an affirming round of applause. The hall was filled with cheers. "Now, the night will end with one final dance." A simple clap of his hand brought forth a large spotlight in the center of the room. People naturally knew what was to come and cleared the area.

Himeno's eyes bulged out at the horror to come. _Dance! Dance... Dance! I can't dance! _She felt the blood drain from her face. _Oh no, this can't be happening. I can't dance in front of all these people and embarrass myself! This is wrong! _

"Now will the prince come for his princess?" Kaoru signaled. Another spotlight appeared in the corner of the room.

_I can't see his face too clearly. He's too far._

Himeno squinted her eyes to see the figure more clearly. His head was tilted slightly down, his long bangs covering his face. The costume surprised Himeno the most. It had taken her a while to recognize it. It was the same as in the book. She recalled the illustration and blushed at living image in front of her. She felt her heart race beyond control. Himeno forgot about everyone looking at her and looked at her Prince Endymion.

_Ha..ya..te? It can't be...can it?_

He lifted up his chin when he reached her. Their eyes met in an eternal gaze. Their thoughts were the same.

_Just for tonight._

* * *

"Are you feeling her spirit?" Mannen excitedly spoke out in a low whisper. "That's some crazy power coming out."

"It's as her spirit should be," Shin replied joyously. "It's so warm."

"Hey...isn't that Hayate walking towards her?" Hajime asked quizzically. "Err...I think we're in trouble now."

Mannen accidentally froze the wine in his glass. "Oh my God...Kei is going to give us hell for this." He cracked a wicked smile. "That is if he finds out...what happened tonight is an absolute secret between all of us."

Shin hesitated. "Why are you so insistent on protecting Hayate? You encouraged him to dance. And now you're making sure nothing happens to him? Why Mannen?"

Mannen's expression softened from his joker face. "Because...it's what Sasame would have done."

Earth's Hope and Blessed Spring said nothing. They prayed for night to end without disaster.

* * *

_It's so strong. Her spirit is so strong. I can even sense it from miles away. It really feels like she's in love._ Kei snapped opened his eyes. He had been mediating on the far hillside, by the outskirts of a local town. _In love? It can't be can it._ He stood up. _No it can't. Because she said so herself. I'll believe in her unyielding will to not want love. _Kei paced back and forth, thinking to himself. _But it is a ball, isn't it? By some miracle, she could have fallen in love with an unknown handsome young man. Then...she'd no longer be our Pretear._

Kei made a furious flight towards the one night castle to find out for himself.

* * *

_Must breath. Must calm down. Must not be nervous. Must act normal. Must not step on his foot. Must not get mad if he insults my hair. Must try to be a princess._

Himeno gracefully rose from her seat and walked forward. She placed her hand in his extended hand. He guided her down the podium and into the center of the dance floor. They paid no attention to the people around them. In both their minds, they were playing the part of their character, bringing their story to life. Hayate confidently wrapped an arm around her waist, like he remembered in the illustration. Himeno firmly placed one hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand. She tiptoed and whispered something to his ear.

"I can't dance. I'm going to step on your feet, Hayate."

"You can dance. And I won't let you step on my feet, Himeno," Hayate replied quietly, making the words only meant for her to hear.

She stood back down and he bent his head to whisper something to her ear.

"Trust in my wind, princess. I won't let you fall."

Hayate pulled back for her to see his sincere smile. He hoped it would make her feel better. Himeno smiled in return.

"Moonlight Destiny," Himeno started, "You know the story, Hayate?" she asked, hoping he knew the story as well.

"Yeah...I do. I read it when I was a kid," he answered solemnly. "What's it to you...Serenity or shall I say dumpling-head?" He teased lightly, hoping for a similar response.

"Nothing, you pompous jerk prince of the earth." She stuck out her tongue at him. "Endymion..."

The orchestra began playing their song and they danced.

_Just for tonight._

* * *

Kei watched from a safe distance, masking his presence from the other knights. He couldn't be more disappointed in all of them, especially Hayate; next on his list was Shin. He watched Eternal Motion elegantly capture the attention of all the guests. Their dance seemed magical. Kei sensed nothing but pure spirit flow from them.

_Careless fools, you didn't even think of setting a well to contain the overflow of spirit. Something's going to show up soon if I don't fix this._

Kei held out his staff and channeled all the spirit into it.

_Hayate. What are you doing? I trusted you to make peace with her...this is...not what I wanted._

* * *

_Shall I...interrupt this wonderful evening? The night has been perfect thus far. I haven't allowed a single demon get close to the property. You ought to thank me, Hayate. I will let your dream come true._

A figure quietly slipped out of the main hall and into the darkness. He smiled to himself as the knights were unable to detect his presence during the entire night. He glanced out to the full moon hanging in the heavens.

_Prince of the Earth. Princess of the Moon. Just for tonight. I know how the story goes. Both of you will die. But I will ... kill the most precious princess first._

"Good night and sweet dreams, Eternal Motion." His voice was soft and melodic as always. "Just for tonight."

* * *

Yayoi's binocular vision saw it all so clearly. Tears of joy streamed down her face. She would undoubtedly pester Himeno for all the steamy details tomorrow in class. She wanted to know everything about this Prince of the Earth that was wooing the Princess of the Moon. How was the feel of his arms? How fast was your heart beating? Did his eyes pull you into the depths of a forbidden world? Did he sweep you off your feet with his unmatched charms? What endearing words did he say to you? What did he smell like? Was his hair silky and shiny or soft and smooth? Did he offer to take you to another world where he'll make all your wild fantasies come true? Yayoi continued conjuring the endless list of questions as she watched the two dance.

"He moves...like a breeze through the fields of sunshine," Yayoi dreamily began. "And she is like the wildflower carried in its ceaseless dance over the green of the earth. Past the rivers, the hills, even through the quiet forest. The wind never lets her out of his gentle and loving arms. She is safe as long as she's with him."

Poetry eloquently flowed from her experienced lips, unwritten but forever embedded in her memory. The moment would last an eternity through her words.

* * *

_'Endymion caressed Serenity's cheek, his dark eyes refused to leave the sanctity of her bright eyes. His face spoke of such longing and his body held hers with a denied desire. He was forbidden to enter her kingdom for the conflict between their worlds was rising.'_

Hayate pulled Himeno towards him after a full twirl. "The night is ending my princess," he recited.

_'Serenity shed a single tear that shone greater than any diamond. Her eyes filled with sorrow at their impending departure. She reached up with her trembling fingers and caressed his cheek._

"There is no other fate, but to part ways," Himeno answered perfectly from the text, "Why must our time together end so soon?"

_'He guided her fingers to his lips, where he bestowed a kiss on her soft flesh. She fluttered her eyes shut as she took in the small warmth. Endymion gently pulled her head towards his chest; he cursed his armor for blocking the beating of his heart.'_

"Because our fate has been decided for us since creation," Hayate murmured into her hair. "There is but one fate for us, my princess."

_'The music stopped. Their dance was over, but their bodies refused to part just yet. A cruel fate awaited them both. War would not give love a chance to hope. The Prince of the Earth had to return home before he was declared a traitor by his world. Serenity professed her heart's wish for his return to her.'_

"I...," Himeno began slowly. A flash of light blinded her as all the lights were turned on. "I...AHHHHHHHHHH!" she shrieked right in front of his face.

"Holy tuliphead! Why'd you scream like that for!" Hayate yelled back to her face.

Realization of what transpired during the past half hour dawned upon her. "What...I can't...no...dancing...this can't be...no..ewww, damn pervert!" Himeno panicked and punched Hayate in the face, sending him sprawling a few meters away from her. "Get away from me!" By now, her face was bright red with a bewildered look. She couldn't believe she had danced with that guy.

Kaoru hastily announced the end of the party. It had ended much differently that what he had hoped for. The princess had pummeled the prince in a terribly mortifying manner and all the guests were just as surprised as he was. He watched Hayate pick himself off the ground and glare menacingly at his daughter. So much for his fairy Godmother plan.

Himeno looked uncomfortably at Hayate. _What did I just do! I don't believe it! I hit him again! This...is...all his fault! Why was he dressed up like that anyways! What was that jerk doing? Acting all... _ _Why did I punch him? I was...just...scared._

Hayate read her eyes. She was sorry...and stupid. _Forget it. The night's over. Go back to being an angel, Hayate. _His eyes clouded over with pain and sadness, his answer to her thoughtlessness. Swiftly, he made his way through the crowd and exited the ceremony, leaving Himeno unable to apologize.

* * *

"Alright, thank you very much for attending. I hope you all had a wonderful night." Kaoru said to the exiting guests. They left him wishes and good blessings for his daughter's future. "Do take care of yourself. I'm glad you enjoyed the food."

His wife stood by him as she saw the guests out. Natsue was full of curiousity as to where Hayate went. He had left in such haste that she did not get the chance to thank him for dancing with her stepdaughter and she didn't know if she would ever see him again after the dreadful parting. It almost broke her heart if he never returned. Himeno's serene and joyous face depended on it.

"Do you know where Hayate went?" Natsue asked her dearest.

"No, but I'm sure Himeno will figure something out. She owes the lad an apology. I think she'll find him somewhere. He can't be far, he's still in the costume I lent him," Kaoru answered, masking any presence of doubt, "He better return it to me or else..."

"Or else what?" Natsue gently laughed at the thought. "You'll do what, dear?"

"I won't let Himeno marry him," he replied sternly, surprised at his answer. "I won't have her marrying a thief."

Natsue giggled. "Dear, you say the strangest things."

"I know... It's alright. If he wants to keep it as a souvenir for tonight, I'll let him have it. It was never mine to begin with."

* * *

Kei found the lone angel in company of flowers. After scolding the other knights, all except for Go, Kei went to find the remaining one. It had not been all that difficult a search. Flowers, roses to be precise, had always been Hayate's quiet friend. After all, they were his mother's favourite kind. Kei watched the knight admire the full bloom of roses under the ethereal moonlight.

"I'm really an idiot. What was I hoping for anyways, mother?" Hayate sighed, "Now it's all over. I knew the fun wouldn't last and that it would only end up hurting me, but I still did it. I became your favourite prince, mother. I tried to be valiant, romantic and a gentleman towards her...but I'm no good, am I? I'm not like father." Hayate felt the darkness in his heart eat at his sadness. "I tried to make peace with the Pretear and I failed. Maybe I shouldn't have pretended to be someone I wasn't."

Gracious Light decided to scold Eternal Motion tomorrow, when he was in a better mood and out of that costume. Kei left to find someone else.

"But it was fun, mother. Being a human is a wonderful feeling. I can see why it's so important to protect all of them. Their short lives are so precious to protect."

Hayate took out the rose hidden in his cloaking cape. "If I had given her this, would the night have ended differently, mother?"

* * *

_"You should go talk to him. He's just out in the back garden, where all the roses are. Clear the misunderstanding up so we can get back on track. I know you didn't mean to hit him in front of all those people, but I'm guessing you were overtaken by the feeling of revelation to find yourself dancing with him."_

Himeno nervously took uneven strides to the back garden. The Light Knight had found her hidden in the dark corridors of the mansion, where she had run off to after embarrassing herself in front of all those guests. Her unlady-like manner was indeed a sight for sore eyes.

_"He didn't mean to dance either. I'm sure he was just as surprised as you were. Especially when you were dressed up like that. I bet he never would believe in a million years that you could display a sense of femininity. You sure gave him a new impression of yourself. Now, if it's not too hard, I would like the both of you to get along. The battle with Haidhis will begin and I don't want either of you at each others' throats before we defeat him."_ _Kei smiled at her with utmost sincerity. _

_"I'll try my best, Kei."_

_"Thank you. I must be off. I have other matters to attend to."_

Himeno reached the end of the dimly lit hallway. This part of the mansion was off limits to everyone except the Awayuki household and members. The moonlight reflected off his armor, adding to his angelicism.

"Hayate," she called out to him boldly, getting his attention. She took a few steps down the cold staircase.

The wind stopped moving for a brief second. Hayate turned to the source of the voice. Himeno stoop atop of the marble staircase, which led to the garden. The night sky did not darken her white silhouette. He said nothing. His expression was clearer than glass, reflecting his willingness to forgive her.

"Himeno."

She slightly trembled at the sound of her name and stumbled forward, tripping on her dress as she did. The next few seconds of her life seemed to have never happened. Everything was a blur as she stared into the face of her rescuer. Both their breaths were uneven and ragged. Hayate lay with his back against the cold stairs, with Himeno lying on top of him and in his arms. A chilling night breeze passed by. Her wig was sprawled at the bottom of the staircase and her short hair blew softly across her face.

"I'm sorry, Hayate. I didn't mean to hurt you," Himeno said bravely, not letting her fear get to her. "I'm sorry."

Hayate rested his head on the cold marble, unwilling to meet her gaze. "It's okay. I know. I'm sorry too, okay. I didn't mean to act like such a prince, but I got carried away. I probably deserved the punch for confusing you."

"No, I was wrong. I shouldn't have hit you, that was just plain wrong of me," Himeno opposed. "You were a perfect gentleman all night. Well except for the part when you insulted my hair, but I mean, you danced with me. You helped me dance properly...I'm..." Himeno fumbled for the words to explain her feelings. "I'm happy. I mean, I'm thankful for your help. I didn't think I could dance, but I did. Thank you, Hayate." Himeno lightly rested her cheek against the his chest armor. "I had fun tonight."

Hayate lifted himself into a sitting position, removing his hands from her. His eyes went to the moon. "Your father told me about your mother."

"He what!" Himeno cried out. "I don't believe it!"

"I understand, Himeno. Because my mother died when I was your age as well." Hayate let the silence between them grow for a bit. "Tonight...I tried to become my mother's favourite story character. Prince Endymion from Moonlight Destiny. She loved the story and read it to me whenever she found time. She was the one who taught me how to dance. I'm sure she wanted me to dance with you."

"Oh...," Himeno began, "So...that's why you were nice to me. Was it because of the story? Because I was dressed up as Princess Serenity?"

"I don't know. But I know we have to stop fighting. You have got to stop punching me whenever you feel like. It hurts." Hayate rested his eyes from the moon to Himeno. "How about a truce? Let's say we forget what happened between us and start fresh."

"I agree to that. I'm Himeno and I'll be your Pretear in the upcoming battle." Himeno flashed a wide smile and held out her hand.

"I'm Hayate, Wind Knight of Eternal Motion. I promise to protect you from the all the darkness." Hayate placed a red rose in her hand. "Happy birthday."

The two started their truce by talking about their most favorite person, who was no longer living in the world, but in their hearts. Both mothers peacefully watched from the heavens her child enjoy the little moment on earth. Time was so short, yet lasted an eternity.

* * *

His lips left hers after one passionate kiss. The nameless maiden went limp in his arms, her life spirit completely drained into darkness. He would carry her to the center of town and place her body for all to see, especially for the knights to find. He licked his lips and brushed his drifting white silver locks to the side.

"Delicious as always. The first kiss always tastes the best."

* * *

Author's Notes: Proofreading this chapt was hell, I gave up on the third read through. I'm going to keep people in suspense for a few more chapters. Hmm, a quick comment about what Kei said. _"Why do they fall in love with the wind, anyways?"_ He's referring to past Pretears in the Angel Knights history...oh yeah, there's a twist in here somewhere. Hayate has a truly special story to tell later on.

I must say, this chapt was extremely challenging in terms of what I had to accomplish. I don't dance so my terminology sucked. I borrowed characters from Sailor Moon and somehow managed to mix it in decent enough (Note how these leading bishounens insult the hair of the girl they fall in love with...what is with guys making fun of the girl they like?). The titles of each knight took some creative thinking. I still feel a little bad for not giving Go and Hajime enough spotlight. I swear, I could have kept writing more because this is such an awesome chappie XD. I gave up on making Haidhis interfere and made him a nice guy for the night.

Disregard the relative ages I gave them in chapter 1 notes. My equation didn't seem to work out and I ended up making some random numbers up. I neglected some very important 'schoolwork' for this and I'm so happy that I managed to finish it XD.

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion from Sailor Moon.


	4. Blazing With Justice

KeyQuis: I had to rewrite this chapter. I apologize for neglecting this story (haven't given up on it though). For the past month and half, I've been busting my brains studying Japanese (self-taught). Italics are thoughts or past speech.

Laptop has serious overheating problems. I'm hoping the HD doesn't die on me... My work term ended and now I'm back in Vancouver. Next time I go for a short-term stay, I minimize spending to food alone because packing and shipping was 'not fun'.

**Chapter 4: Blazing With Justice**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

* * *

The castle had been abandoned since the day it became engulfed in darkness. Time stood still for the fortress among the briers and thorns. The inhabitants were all asleep in an eternal slumber with its princess, neither dreaming nor living, only hoping to awaken once again. The shroud cover hid its once glorious kingdom; the grounds unwelcomed all who glimpsed into the shadows.

He shrugged off the sense of death looming outside the bedroom chambers. He vividly remembered all life that flourished in this fallen kingdom. His princess lay asleep on her bed. One hand went to caress her perfect porcelain skin; it was an indescribable cold that greeted his fingertips.

"I'll restore your soul, my love. Wait for me."

_I'll do anything to see you smile once again, even destroy all of Leafeania. I'm sorry I failed to protect you._

* * *

The little boy with golden hair grimaced at the sight of the young girl lying against the stones of the town's water fountain. Her head had been carefully placed on the ledge and her hair drifted in the waters. Her spirit was completely drained from her soul.

_Is he mocking us? To display his power in such plain sight?_

Kei held back the curses lying on the tip of his tongue. Haidhis had taken his first victim last night and from the looks of it, the victim had attended Himeno's ball last night too. The once shiny dress lay dull, covered with town dust. In a mere hour, the sun would rise and other residents would discover her. His options weren't good either.

"He got her good, didn't he?" A chirpy voice came from behind him.

"Mannen. This is a serious matter. I can slow the death of her body, but it'll cost me a lot of spirit. It'll be a matter of time before it'll turn to dust without its soul. And you don't have near half of what I have to save her either." Kei faced the Ice Knight.

"You just had to rub it in." Mannen sighed. "I know I'm not very old compared to you, but at least give me a chance."

"Do you have something in mind?" Kei raised a brow. "We don't have too much time. Even if I give her my spirit, her soul won't return unless he's defeated. She'll just be an empty case...but at least she will have a second chance at life if we recover her soul in time."

"You revive her, I'll freeze her in a time stopper," Mannen coolly replied. "With her frozen, the spirit you give her will last forever. Then we won't be so pressed to defeat Haidhis in a rush. He must be a sneaky bastard if he escaped your detection and I don't think he's gonna show up anytime soon either."

"Time stopper? Are you sure about it? But your spirit-"

"I'll be fine if I rest up afterwards. I mean, it's not fair if you get to ... sacrifice your spirit and I don't," Mannen snapped. "Stop bearing all the load alone, Kei! Let the rest of us help too."

"Fine. We'll take her back to the mansion, and place her in an empty room, where we'll give her our spirit." Kei watched the rays of sunrise slowly glow over the town. "We must hurry. Mannen, carry her."

Mannen swiftly hoisted the sleeping maiden into his arms. "Ai aye, captain Kei."

The two angels ascended into cloudless skies, their wings unseen by the those who lived on the ground. Perhaps if they were seen, hope would fill the hearts of the hopeless.

* * *

The morning was considerably beautiful today. The sun had not risen over the horizon, but the clear sky paved a bright light blue ocean above his head. Hayate had woken up promptly the next day to clean up the decors left outside. All that week of hard work just for one night...one unforgettable night at that too. It had been humanly fun for him. Hayate loaded up a few stone statues onto a cart and wheeled them to the storage cabin. A few thoughts lingered in his mind.

_"What do you think you were doing?"_

Kei had a nice chat with him earlier on this morning, when the sky was still dark. The Light Knight found out about what happened during the dance and didn't like any of it one bit.

_"You engaged yourself in a compromising situation. Had something spurred from it, you'd be threatening mankind...again."  
_  
Hayate neatly stacked the statues beside each other and draped a large cloth over them to protect them from collecting dust. He only had another 30 or 50 some odd statues left to bring in. He could easily bring them all in using the wind, but it'd be a waste of spirit. There is merit in using your own strengths over your own powers. Everyone has some strength, but not everyone has power. His father had taught him that. And what's a statue weighing twice that of a human to an angel anyways? Nothing.

_I might have done something stupid, but I didn't do anything wrong. I did something I shouldn't have done, but I don't regret it._

Hayate looked around. Large cloths covered up exquisite items that were only brought out on special occasions, old antiques that were no longer in style and other sentimental gifts that had no place inside the house. This storage was really a treasure box in Hayate's mind.

_"There really isn't any value in hiding something beautiful. Keeping it locked or hidden away is just a waste of its existence. It's like a flower in the dark. Leave it there and it'll wither without anyone knowing until it's taken out. Leave it in the sun and it'll wither eventually, but not without bringing some joy and smiles to peoples' faces first. Death is nothing to fear if life was lived to its fullest."_

Hayate remembered the words; the voice that spoke them had become fuzzy over the years though.

"What am I suppose to do, mother?"

Hayate caught glimpse of a few early rays of sunlight at the entrance doorway, reminding him of the work ahead of his day.

* * *

"Well, that's that." Go gave a thumbs-up to Hajime. "We can head back now."

Hajime smiled up at the clear sky. "Besides that, it's another beautiful day blessed unto the lands. Just look at the radiance from our trigger barrier. Father must be pleased with us."

"You can say that again. Tell that to Kei and maybe we'll get to see him cheeky and cheerful too. Heh, makes me glad he's in a child's body."

"Leader needs to laugh once in a while. It's good for the soul."

"Alright, race ya kid." Go grinned and started off.

"A head start won't do you any good! Water is faster than fire." Hajime propelled himself forward with a bit of spirit.

Water won by a long shot, making fire eat its droplets.

* * *

Hayate clenched his fists at the sight of it. The girl encased in ice was placed in the dark corner of the storage room. Kei told him that Haidhis had struck his first last night. The fact that he was able to conceal his evil spirit posed the greatest threat of all. The knights would have to stay closer to their Pretear since anyone approaching her could be him.

"This stinks and I don't mean you, Kei," Mannen grumbled. "How in heaven's name are we not able to sense him? It's like fishing without a rod! We can't find him!"

"Your analogies stink, Mannen," Kei quietly retorted. "Anyhow, Hayate. Go will now be her primary protector. You will no longer be assigned to her due to your compromising actions last night. Note that I would replace you with Shin since he has the higher defensive capabilities, but I don't want him wasting his spirit. Your duty will now lie in protecting the maidens in the local area since your speed will serve the purpose well. I'm planning several team formations to optimize our chances of winning in different battles. Should an unexpected circumstance arise, I would like to make sure that we are prepared. Hajime and Mannen will be support. Shin and I will be the trump cards. Any questions?"

"Where is Go? Shouldn't he be here on the estate as well?" Hayate crossed his arms across his chest.

"I will notify him when he finishes his round. You'll switch with him when he gets back. He's out setting tracking spirit with Hajime. They're creating a detector field around the perimeter. If there's an unknown spirit disturbance trying to enter the premise, we'll know. Shin's in heaven making preparations. And he needed to rest himself. Apparently, last night took a toll on his body."

"I'll say. You shoulda seen him get swung around like a doll. It was hilarious." Mannen beamed his leader a cheeky grin.

Gracious Light simply glared up at Absolute Zero.

"Hayate, go check if Himeno's awake yet. She should be awake by now, but I haven't seen her around. We need to discuss battle tactics with her soon. If she's willing to train, that'd be great too." Kei pointed to Mannen. "And you will be delegated to make runs to the local towns and contact us if you notice anything suspicious. Put your energy to good use other than making jokes all the time.

"Boo, I can't help that I was created to be a serious joker." Mannen waved bye as he headed out the storage, with Hayate following his lead.

Kei took a final look at the iced figurine. "I'm sorry this happened. It's hard to protect the Pretear and every other girl at the same time. It's not that we don't want to...it's just that we really can't without risking the fate of the world. I hope you'll understand and forgive our selfishness. We'll do our very best to get you your soul back. It really is a pity to have your first kiss charmed away...and your soul stolen away. May you forget this horrible ordeal when it's over. God bless."

Kei never looked back. Duty was waiting for him.

* * *

It was so cold. Himeno found herself lost in a forest, void of life and light. The trees had distorted figures of horror, their branches bearing no leaves or fruits. The land looked like death.

"Where am I?"

Her legs continued to carry her on the path that lead her in one direction. They stopped at a gate. Its model was that out of fairy tales; large, majestic, with intricate patterns painted with faded gold. Thorny vines crawled all over the patterns, warding off those who dared to lay hands on it.

"That's as far as you go, princess." A voice from behind called out to her.

Himeno snapped around, her heart pounding hard in her chest. The voice, as beauty as it sounded, struck a chord of panic and fear to her soul.

"Hai...dhis." She trembled and found her limbs paralyzed in terror at the dark figure whose eyes were the only thing she could see. The colour of evil lurked in those eyes that.

"Silence now...your soul is mine now."

The thorny vines that were wrapped against the gate now bound themselves to her body, piercing it all over. Himeno felt the pain of the deep pricks that made her bleed all over. The more she struggled, the more they tore her body. He walked over closer, a pair of black lips came into view.

All she could do was scream.

* * *

"Himeno!"

_It was a nightmare...I'm still alive._

"Himeno, wake up!"

_There's something warm holding me. So warm...safe._

"Himeno! Open your eyes."

_They're so blue, so deep, and so endless._

"Ha..ya..te?" The syllables slipped from her mouth. Her eyelid slowly lifted up.

"Are you alright!" His face was full of worry.

Hayate had entered her room through the balcony windows and found a dark mist drifting on her bed. He dispelled it with his wind and rushed to her side. Her face was scrunched with pain, her breathing was uneven and the air around her body was freezing. She thrashed about restrained underneath invisible binds. Without a moment to spare, without even thinking, he just pulled her against his body and wrapped his arms over her body, his legs slightly entwined with hers. He desperately tried to warm her up, lest her soul leave her body. Himeno lay helplessly cradled in his arms.

"What...I..." The vivid images of death flashed through her mind. Her fear resurfaced and she screamed.

"Stop Himeno. It's over. The nightmare's gone now. You're awake now." Hayate muffled her cry by pressing her head to his chest. "You're..safe now."

Himeno frantically cried out. "He came. Haidhis came to me. It was so dark, I was pinned down by thorns! I was bleeding all over...he was going to take my soul!" Her body shivered and she couldn't help but to lean in to his warmth.

"I didn't think he'd enter your dreams so soon. Looks like we've got more to deal with now. He knows who you are, where you live. We'll have to increase our guard over you until we pinpoint his identity and location." Hayate comforted her with gentle strokes to her hair, a gesture his mother often did to him.

They remained in each other's company. Himeno let the soothing touch on her head continue without complaint. It was the nostalgic feeling of being a little child again that felt so reassuring. Hayate knew better than to build the bond between them. Kei had warned him and he would no longer be by her side in a short while. He was being selfish and he knew it. It was not love, but a longing to open up his kind self to another. A knock on the door broke their moment.

"Miss Himeno, are you well? I heard some screams inside your chamber." It was Makoto, her dutiful servant. "Is everything alright with you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now. It was just a nightmare," Himeno replied out after promptly turning her buried face to the door.

"Breakfast will start shortly. Please come down as soon as possible."

"Uh...thanks!"

"I shall excuse myself now, Miss Himeno." Footsteps faded away from her door.

Hayate swiftly detached himself and got off her bed, leaving her in a slight daze. "Kei wants us to meet up and discuss a few matters. Due to new information, there is going to be a change of plans in how we'll be dealing with Haidhis starting today."

"Um, Hayate." Himeno's body still tingled from his touch. "Thanks for...comforting me."

His reply was a quiet glance into her eyes.

Himeno took in a deep breath to calm herself. It took just a few seconds for her mind to take in what had happened - she threw herself into the arms of a guy...a mighty fine looking one at that too. Her cheeks went instantly to match the shade of red roses in the garden.

"Are you alright? Your face is flushed."

"Eh?" Himeno slapped her cheeks. "It's noth-nothing. See, I'mmmm fine," she stammered. "Ahh, I have to change...can you leave?"

Hayate immediately turned his head and headed for the windows. "We'll be waiting for you at the same place. Hurry up with breakfast because it's urgent." He left as he came.

Himeno stared at the spot where he had been standing. The image in her mind seemed almost sad. With his back towards her, he didn't look like an angel at all. There was no radiance or glow from his eyes, no wings or feathers. If Himeno didn't know any better, he might as well have been a human boy.

"I'm being strange...and it's not from my dream...and it can't be from last night."

* * *

"Aww Himeno. Won't you thank your daddy for giving you such a wonderful ball?" Mr. Awayuki ran over and coddled his little girl the moment she stepped into the dining room.

Himeno was too weary to push him away this morning and let him cling to her while she forced herself to the dining table. Her thoughts were occupied about the dream and the feel of death.

"Ah! Is my little girl still a dazed from the magic of romance? The knight swept you off your feet and now that the enchantment is over, you are heartbroken."

"Dad...you're starting to act like Miss Yayoi. It's unbecoming of you," Himeno mumbled and shoved an entire croissant into her mouth, followed by a serving of warm milk tea and topped off with a several miniature sweet custard cakes. "And I will never be heartbroken because I'm never going to fall in love."

_Is that a lie? It is, isn't it, Mother? I'm lying to myself. What am I so afraid of anyways?..._

"Are you alright, Himeno?" Natsue leaned across the table and felt her daughter's forehead. "You don't have a fever, but you do seem a bit pale."

Himeno cracked a smile. "I kinda woke up to a bad dream. Body still feels rather on the numb side, mother. Really, I'm fine." She started laughing to ease the atmosphere.

"If you say so dear...," her father raised a questionable brow.

Himeno devoured several slices of toast and finished off a glass of milk. "See. Perfectly fine." She rose from her seat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

"But your lessons aren't until this afternoon? Are you going out somewhere? If so, Makoto has to come with you," her father chimed in, concerned for her well-being

"I'll just be out in the garden." Himeno walked out room before more questions came at her.

_I have to be strong...I can't let a dream get to me._

* * *

They all gathered in the gazebo, sheltered from morning rays. Kei had placed his illusion shield up to hide detection.

"Himeno, Go will be guarding you from now on. Hayate is needed elsewhere," Kei informed her so as-a-matter-of-factly when Himeno arrived to their gathering.

"Eh?"

"To clarify, it is more strategic to have Go by your side than Hayate."

"Wait...what's going on? By my side? What are you talking about, Kei?"

"Oh yes. You were uninformed that Hayate was assigned as your guardian to protect you from lesser demons. It will now be Go."

"Wait, why the switch? What's more strategic?" Himeno thought back to this morning. _Was that why he was there? Because he was told to watch over me? Was that why he was able to..._

"And I must tell you that Haidhis has taken his first victim since his awakening. Last night, one of the ball attendees was found drained of her spirit."

"Last night!"

Mannen interrupted, "Well, we're not too certain about the details, but we know he did it."

"How is she then?" Himeno panicked at the thought of Haidhis attacking a girl.

"She's..been stabilized for now. But we need to defeat him as soon as possible to release her spirit from him," Kei answered calmly.

"Wait, so where is she now?"

Hayate spoke up. "You shouldn't go see her. Not after what happened this morning."

"What happened this morning?" Kei's question was a demand. "Are you hiding something from us, Hayate?"

"It's nothing." Himeno waved her hands to excuse the matter. "I'm alright. It was nothing serious."

"You lie, Himeno." Shin's statement caught everyone's attention. "Since this morning, the flowers have felt your troubled self. Your spirit has made them worry. If it has anything to do with Haidhis, you'd better tell us because it is serious to us."

"She doesn't have to say a thing, Shin. Don't pry into people's feelings with your flowers."

"Hayate?"

"You don't have to tell them what happened, Himeno."

"Hayate! What's gotten into you?" Mannen grabbed the collar of Eternal Motion's outfit. "If she was attacked or something, we have to know!"

Himeno watched them argue over her. Hayate really didn't want them to find out. Was it because he didn't the others to worry? Or had it been something more?

"It was just a bad dream!" she roughly blurted out. "Nothing happened. I just had a bad dream."

"Was Haidhis in it?" Kei sharply asked. "Did he come to greet you?"

There was no reply. Her widened eyes told Gracious Light all he needed to know.

"Now we can presume he knows where you are." _It must have been last night, when her spirit overflowed. He must have been able to detect it. We were too careless!_ "Alright, you'll have to see the victim. Only then will you understand the true horrors of Haidhis. You can still back out afterwards. We won't force you to fight it you're afraid."

They waited for her answer. All eyes were on her slightly trembling form.

_I know I shouldn't be scared. Maybe I got myself involved with something I shouldn't have. This is way over my head. I should have gave it more thought before deciding...that's right...I became the Pretear because I wanted to stop Haidhis. I can't let him bully me with just a dream! I won't give up. I won't let him win!_

"I want to see her. I'm not afraid of Haidhis."

* * *

Hayate had been sent off to the towns for surveillance. He figured that Kei wanted to minimize his contact with Himeno after what happened. He hadn't intended on protecting Himeno from the others, it just happened. Instilling fear into her heart would have caused them problems. There was no need for Himeno to see the first victim.

The towns had changed since he last remembered. The streets were still of stone and houses of wood and plaster. There were more businesses, more people, more life. Fashion had changed considerably. It was different like it should be. Nothing could ever stay the same with time...at least he'd like to think so. He knew plenty of constant things of life. Love would always be love, it would not change its character in anyway. Hate would always be hate, complimenting love as usual.

Hayate felt something at its feet. It was a ball. He picked it up instinctively and his eyes looked for its owner. A little boy ran up to him, his small group of friends waiting for the retrieval of their ball.

"Can we have our ball back, big brother?" the little boy smiled up at him. He must not have been 7 years of age.

"Sure." Hayate placed the ball in the boy's hands and patted him on the head. "Have fun."

"Thanks, you too!" He ran back to his friends.

Hayate never had any friends as a kid. He never had the chance to play with other children before being taken to heaven. There hadn't been much choice after his parents were killed. The guilt of being their cause of death still haunted him. His parents died protecting him. He had the power and couldn't save the ones he loved. In bitterness and pain, anger and sadness, hate and love, he agreed to becoming an angel knight. He wanted to slay all demons.

The previous Pretear. He could never forget her. She had been his friend out of free will, not fearing his power. She saw through to his kind and gentle heart, and thanked him for vigilantly protecting her. Her smile ceased his guilt and her words comforted his soul. And in the end, he had been the cause of her destruction. Just because he could not love her, he caused her to lose her soul to Haidhis.

So what was the deal with Himeno? He was going down the same path as he knew it. He wanted to protect her, but didn't want to risk having her fall in love with him because of that. He wanted to be her friend, he wanted the warmth of someone he could trust. Humans were so different to angels. They had a short life. They lived with the day to day pleasures. It was a world he could not return to. For both their sakes, Hayate would try to avoid coming close to Himeno. He would fulfill his duty in a cold and uncharacteristic manner, like the way Kei wanted. He would lie to himself and use the Pretear for a source of power.

Hayate grimaced as he looked up in the sky, ignoring the sounds of street life around him. There was no way he could change his heart.

* * *

Himeno felt the void of spirit when she entered the room. In the corner lay the lifeless maiden entrapped in unmelting ice. Her steps wavered at first while approaching it, but in her determination took broad strides over. She was going to get rid of her fear and beat that soultaking creep.

Kei had sent Hayate away and his absence made her uneasy. After seeing the girl, she could only hope that Hayate would be able to stop something like this from every happening again. Himeno was face to face with her destiny. There was no turning back now she saw the truth.

"He did this to her?"

"Yes. When we defeat him, she'll get her soul back."

"Then I hope he shows up soon because I want to beat him now." Her tone was frightening, full of absolute anger. Her voice was low and serious.

Kei and the others felt her spirit rise from her emotions. They felt her power radiate and it beckoned them to want to pret just to feel the warmth of a Pretear. The experience of a pret was always different with each new Pretear. The first touch was always intoxicating.

"You should be careful what you wish for." Shin's words broke through their thoughts. "It might not turn out the way you want to."

"The sooner we fight, the sooner we get her soul back though." Go shared his feelings with his team. "Besides, I'm getting a little anxious just sitting around and waiting. I want some action!"

"That's why you always get stuck with the boring jobs. You need to cool your head." Mannen scoffed him over the head. "Patience is a virtue if you haven't forgotten."

"Now now, no fighting amongst ourselves," Kei calmly interrupted, "Whether he shows up or not isn't our concern. We need to focus on training with Himeno and increase our awareness. If we are not prepared for battle, then it is pointless to have one." The leader had displayed his authority timelessly.

"So can we start training then?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Go grinned. "Me first!"

"No, Shin will test her out. He's a much better guide. Plus his gentle spirit should balance hers." Kei chuckled as his fellow knight sulked. "But we must find a training area first. A place out of sight from human eyes."

All eyes turned to Himeno, asking if she knew of such a place.

"Uh..., when I was just a kid...there was this one place I played at a lot..., but..."

* * *

The view was breath-taking. Despite being overrun with wildflowers and willow trees, the mountainside off by a short distance to the property was beautiful.

_"but...I stopped going when mother died."_

There was plenty of tree cover and a small running river added its luscious sight. Kei nodded with affirmation.

"This place will do just fine."

"Heh...it feels kinda weird coming back here after a long time. It's changed, but it still feels the same."

"Shin, please teach her the basics of controlling spirit flow. We don't want her to burn out too fast. Mannen, Hajime, the both of you practice shots at them. Himeno needs to learn how it feels to be in sync with her knight while he's moving around. Based on the first fight with Hayate, she just poured spirit into him and collapsed from exhaustion. We can't have her doing the same thing now that Haidhis knows her whereabouts." Kei passed out the instructions to his team. "And Go, you will pret with Himeno when the enemy sends out his minions. For now, just watch over their training."

"Eh? You're not staying, Kei?" Mannen blurted out.

"I have to check up on a few things. I'll probably meet up with Hayate if you want to find me." Kei gently lifted himself off the ground, preparing to fly off. "Blessings be with you all."

Mannen waited for his leader to disappear out of sight before speaking up. "Geez, that's Kei for ya, always doing things his own way. I swear, if there's something that doesn't change with time-it's him."

"Hey...Kei is a good leader though," Hajime protested. "He always does the hard stuff so we don't have to."

"Blessed Spring does have a point, Absolute Zero," Shin added. "Kei is a leader we can trust to always take on more than what is needed from him. Don't build up feelings of dissatisfaction against Glorious Light."

"Geez...can't anyone take sarcasm and jokes around here?" Mannen muttered, "I was just trying to ease the tension before practice."

Shin bowed slightly held out his hand. "Himeno, may I?"

It was almost like a request to dance. There was a small step of hesitation when she placed her hand in his.

* * *

_He must have been here. I know he would go visit her._

Kei entered the broken kingdom that had been sealed off from the rest of Leafeania. In here rested the tale of the sleeping princess who would only awaken to a kiss of true love. Kei knew the tale was a lie. No kiss could restore a lost soul. His footsteps traced an old path. His eyes recalled the past glory the long halls were filled with. His heart grieved at his mistake.

Her room was at the very top. He was the one who laid her to rest when they sealed Haidhis. He gave her a portion of his light to keep her body suspended with life in the darkness. He had removed light from the rest of the castle, casting them to a dreamless and timeless slumber. He vowed one day to bring everything back into the light. Her pristine beauty was as he remembered. Hair as black as night, skin as white as snow and lips as red as blood.

"Takako." Kei bit his lips, holding back his guilt. "I'm sorry I wouldn't let you love him. Eternal Motion isn't allowed to have another love him...the past isn't allowed to repeat. I'm sorry for leading your heart into confusion and hatred."

Kei got down on his knees and pleaded. "Please forgive me for hurting you. I only wanted to protect my knights from falling astray."

_But Perfect Harmony loved you with all his heart and soul...I couldn't stop him from loving you._

"Forgive me, Sasame. I never meant to hurt the one you love."

Kei rose up from the ground and proceeded to leave her room via her dusty balcony.

"Forgive me, Sasame. I'm going to have to destroy you in order to get her soul back. It's still inside of you, isn't it? Her soul is still giving you power, isn't it?"

* * *

_"To pret is like trusting someone with your life. You're not afraid of getting hurt, nor causing pain. It's a two way relationship, perfectly balanced and mutual. There's no need to strain yourself, Himeno. Give me your strength as my body asks for it. Don't force it through me or you'll burn yourself out."_

Himeno could hardly focus on his words. This pret felt so different than with Hayate. Granted that Shin's spirit felt succumbingly warm and secure, but she didn't feel connected to him at all. Their minds weren't of one, neither was their spirit. Instead of a bodily embrace, it felt like they were holding hands and Himeno was the one tugging at him to run faster, while he was pulling her back to slow down. She felt queasy, almost dizzy in her state of mind.

_"Himeno?"_ Shin dodged a few ice lances and weaved through water whips with ease. _"How are you feeling?"_

_"Sick. Let me out, I don't feel so well."_ Himeno wanted her soul and body back to herself.

The separation felt harsh as Himeno felt herself get thrown to the ground during the unpret.

"Yo Himeno, what happened?" Mannen rushed to her side, followed by Hajime and Go. He propped her to a sitting position. Her spirit felt irritated.

"I don't know. It was going alright for a while until we starting moving." Shin checked her pulse and found it to be racing violently. "You should rest for now. Hajime, give her some water."

"I don't get it. Did I do something wrong?" She drank in the cool refreshing water from Hajime's hand. Her body relaxed as it was rejuvenated. "It was nothing like with Hayate..."

"You just need to control your flow of spirit. Essentially, it's like we're feeding off your soul. You can only give us so much before our bodies can't take in any more. Balance is what you're missing. Trust is something we need to work on too." Shin watched her struggle with her weakened condition.

"Alright...let's try again." Himeno bit her lower lip and forced herself to stand up. She suppressed the queasy feeling in her stomach. "I need to practice so we can beat him."

Shin hesitated. Clearly she had no clue how to control her intense emotions and her feisty spirit. To try again without even considering her physical state was too reckless of a Pretear. He felt somewhat frustrated with her rebellious attitude, yet could not help admire her unyielding determination. "All right. We'll try again."

"I'll try harder this time. I'll do my best to balance my spirit."

It had been Mannen who noticed it. Her eyes held an all too nostalgic intensity within them. How long ago was it when he last saw the same look in Hayate's eyes? He was young, fierce and prepared to succeed at all costs. Watching Himeno was like looking at Hayate's reflection in a mirror. They were similar, only separated by a fragile wall of glass. Realization struck him. The past would repeat itself, another tragedy would awaken if the glass between them broke. However impossible it may be, the two should never pret ever again. Absolute Zero cursed silently at Eternal Motion's fate. The youngest knight was never going to have a happy ending.

* * *

Hayate did his best to drive thoughts of Himeno out of his mind. Thoughts of the previous Pretear mixed in and he wished that he had not been created. If he hadn't been born, then he wouldn't have caused such great sadness to those who didn't deserve it. He loathed the human weakness in his heart. Those thoughts were irrelevant to an angel. To question his own existence was a very sin.

Takako. He still remembered how she smiled at him. Her title was the Princess of Light in the Kingdom of Tyipi. Aside from being the most sought after girl in all of Leafeania during her time, she had been the purest of spirit out of all the Pretears they had encountered. Her love was her greatest strength. Her kindness was her greatest weakness.

"I have to let go of my past...or I'll just repeat it again."

Hayate failed to notice the enemy make his first move. Waves of darkness quickly flooded the town with screams.

* * *

Their training session ended with some degree of success. After the 12th pret, Himeno managed to endure through the motion training without wanting to unpret. She lay with her back against the untended field of wild flowers, with her knights joining her as well. She panted for air and did not grumble at how still her body felt. Shin had warned her about the effects of consecutive preting without taking a break. If not for her high stamina from all her martial training, she'd be done for.

"You did well, Himeno. Both you and Kei dodged all of the water whips." Hajime knew compliments were typically well taken by girls. "That was impressive."

"I'm beat," crooned Mannen. "Using the ice lance as a projectile was not a cool idea. My spirit feels so wiped out."

Himeno let out a chuckle. "Looks like you need to practice balancing your spirit too. You overspent yourself."

In their state, only Go was capable of being in a pret if danger arose. Shin felt completely drained of spirit and he just wanted to return to heaven to rest. Not even the vast flowers and trees in the area gave him enough of their life for his spirit. Hajime lay in the small river, feeding off its life to recover his lost spirit.

"That's definitely enough practice for today," Shin clumsily sat up. "Mannen, Hajime. The both of you are coming back with me to heaven. We're useless in the state we're in. Come on, our souls needs to be replenished." He opened up a gate back home. "Better hurry because I'm quite exhausted. Go, we leave her in your hands now. If an emergency arises, try to fight it yourself. I don't want Himeno to pret at least for another hour. For best, take her back to the mansion and let her rest. We'll just have to hope Hayate can deal with Haidhis's attack in the local towns. Day one is always busy. When you meet up with Kei, tell him that we've gone back to heaven and that Himeno's made some improvements."

"Will do, brother." Go waved farewell as they walked through the gate of light. He faced Himeno with a wide grin. "Come on, princess. Let me fly you back home. I'll carry you on my back. Don't worry, all my intentions are noble."

"Sure."

Himeno let him help her up onto his back. If her mind hadn't been exhausted by the training, she probably would have declined and insisted on going by foot. It was in midair when she noticed the sinking warm feeling from his back and how tight her arms were wrapped around his neck. The cringing thought of being piggybacked appalled her. It was utterly embarrassing. Her cheeks were flushed with a pretty shade of pink by now and she refrained herself from wriggling out of his firm hold and falling down 100 feet from the sky. At first, her position felt uncomfortable. The last piggyback ride she had was long forgotten. After a while, she ignored her insecurities and relaxed. The fear of relying on another disappeared while the wind brushed her face and the warmth of another body lulled her into a light sleep.

* * *

It was overwhelming. Had the enemy plotted the entire thing and decided to take out each knight one at a time? Hayate didn't even think as he responded with random attacks in random directions. There was enough familiars to drain the town dry if he didn't use his power fast. He looked for a source of life. The fountain overflowing with water would do. He dashed through the panicked crowd and jumped into the wet shield. It took a brief moment to extract the spirit from the stream he stood in and a violent wind was released upon the minions of death. A good portion of the sky cleared up before being covered again. This time, all their focus was on him. As if being led by one mind, the familiars all swarmed at him hell bent on taking his soul. Hayate gritted his teeth as he prepared for the worse. They attacked with an immense force that knocked him over. He felt their presence begin to devour him.

An intense flame sheared his impending doom.

* * *

It was a sickening feeling. Dread, horror and fear swelled up within Himeno in an instant and her grip choked Go's neck. Something had triggered pain and panic through her body, jolting her out of the light slumber.

"Himeno? Something wrong?" Go pried her arms off his neck, almost dropping her.

"I don't know. I just feel strange...like something's wrong." Her face scrunched up in confusion. "I..."

Go was hit with the same feeling. "Damn, Hayate's in trouble."

"What?" Himeno didn't get an answer.

Go grabbed her by the waist, dangling her body in one arm. "No time to explain. We just have to move fast!"

Himeno didn't argue with the rough treatment. She wanted to get rid of the unsettling feeling in her.

"Hayate's in trouble?"

"He's fighting the enemy right now. When one of us fights, we can sense each others feelings." Go sensed Himeno's distress as well. The fear clearly coursed through to his body and he flew in its direction.

* * *

"You still alive there, Hayate?" Go grinned. They arrived just before Hayate was buried underneath the swarm of enemies.

"Go!" Hayate had been utterly surprised by the rescue. "You..."

"Himeno sensed it first and alerted me. Our Pretear's quite the keener it seems, picked up your distress call faster than me." Go fixed his eyes the looming bats soon-to-be-burnt to crisp as he held out his materialized soul weapon. "Oh yeah! Take the justice within my heart that takes the form of an executioner's axe. My blade will eliminate your foul existence from this realm and return you to the infinity of nothingness."

The soul weapon mesmerized Himeno. Her additional spirit as the Pretear allowed Go to bring forth a weapon which concentrated all his power into one source, thus amplifying its power and capabilities. Fire was at their bidding. Himeno grasped what Shin had meant by balance and trust in her pret with Go. Balance meant complimenting and completing each others' feelings. Trust meant to believe in each others' thoughts and feelings. Neither were achieved during training because Shin's and her thoughts were not the same. The fear she experienced with Go aligned them together. The desire to rescue Hayate sparked a strong bond union between the knight and his princess. Himeno felt her hands tighten around the axe's handle base. She poured more of heart into its strength.

Go released a low growl from his throat. It spurred from anger after seeing the many townsmen lying on the streets, collapsed after having their spirit drained out. He hated it when the innocent were attacked. He hated it when the innocent were caught between their battles. He hated it when the innocent were treated like sacrifices.

"Himeno, let's finish this in one shot."

Himeno said nothing. She merely focused on adding fuel to the flame of the axe. Go guided her feelings with his own. She remembered smiling to herself before losing consciousness.

* * *

_"Himeno, darling." _

_"Yes, mommy?" Himeno absentmindedly walked along the grassy path, clinging onto her mother's long sundress. The little 3 year old happily enjoyed the stroll in their backyard._

_"Never forget how beautiful life is."_

_"Mommy is the most beautiful one of all." Himeno beamed with innocence as she said it._

_Her mother returned her words with a smile. "And one day, you'll find love and become more beautiful than me."_

_"Love?"_

_"Yes. The reason why you exist, my precious daughter."_

_"Is it good?" _

_Silence with a smile spoke words only the heart heard._

* * *

It was late in the evening, the stars began to cover the night sky. Mr. Awayuki had thrown a panic attack when his daughter had shown up late for dinner. He didn't question how awfully quiet his daughter was at the dining table. She ate gracefully, slowly and displayed impeccable manners. After excusing herself, she made her way quietly up her room for an early retire. Kei sighed a breath of relief as he removed his light illusion. It had been tough to image himself as a girl. He entered the room, where Go and Hayate were waiting. They had covered up Himeno's absence with Kei as her stand in. They spoke to each other in low whispers to avoid waking the sleeping beast.

Himeno heard the faint sound of chatter in her room. It sounded like an argument between several people. One voice sounded angry, another sounded worried and the last sounded unhappy. She couldn't make out the owners of each voice.

"We can't afford to be separated as a team. He'll target each one of us individually."

"But we can't leave the the towns unprotected. It's too risky."

"She doesn't have unlimited spirit, Kei. We can't train her and have her enter battle."

"It was bad timing. Haidhis just so picked a bad time to challenge us."

"It doesn't matter. If Go's attack didn't finish everything off in one swipe, then we would've lost. All the town folks' spirit, including hers. We need to redo our strategy."

"I think we should let Himeno choose what she wants. She is our Pretear after all. She should be allowed to choose how she wants to continue this battle."

"Isn't there some other way to fight him without the help of a Pretear?"

"Don't be absurd, she's the best chance we've got."

"We need to lure the real thing out and get him before he puts the pressure on us. It seems like he's really going after the public, is he sending a message to us or what?"

"We've got to stop him no matter what." That was all Himeno managed to sputter out in her weariness. "Must stop him."

"Himeno, you're awake!" Go rushed to her bedside. "Scared me to hell when your soul collapsed inside of me!" He held back tears of relief. "Geez, don't ever overdo it again. If you strain yourself too much, you'll never wake up next time."

"Ahh...sorry." Himeno weakly gave him a thumbs-up. "At least we beat the enemy...and saved Hayate in time."

"You trained too intensely and depleted yourself during the the battle. You must take more caution next time, Himeno, or you'll die." Kei gave her a stern look. "This is no joke, your spirit is essentially your existence. Use it all up and you'll die. Don't be so reckless with yourself."

"Huh? Isn't my spirit suppose to be a power booster? What do you mean by die?"

"You...give us power by completing our existence, Himeno. It's rather complicated." Kei's body glowed a soft light, his radiance giving off spirit for her. "For you, death means the return of your soul to heaven...and you departing from life in Leafeania before your actual time is up."

Himeno mentally cursed at herself. Her eagerness to end the battle nearly ended her life. She held back the anxiety. She watched Go move aside to let Hayate speak with her. Hayate carefully took a seat on the bed. He reached out and placed his hand on her head, stroking it with a comforting reassurance.

"Don't worry about it. I'm really grateful for your help. If you rest your body, your spirit will regain itself." His words conjured a tingling warmth in her body. "Please don't worry about it too much...it'll sadden your mother."

"Hmm...you're right." The little princess gave into her weariness and entered into a state of deep slumber.

"We shouldn't have her train so intensely next time. A time limit of 20 minutes should be sufficient. What do you think, Kei?"

"She shouldn't train anymore. Real battles will be her training. We can't afford to waste our strength, Go. Three of us were in restoration just from training alone. We can't let that happen again. We must assume Haidhis is coming for a full frontal assault. I doubt he's fully reawakened to his true nature, but that time can't be far from now at this rate." Kei's eyes narrowed and his expression doubled with seriousness. "But our real problem lies with her. Himeno is too spontaneous, unpredictable...and strong. If we're not careful, she'll be able to break us with her power. Her capacity cannot be underestimated."

Hayate kept his thoughts to himself. Being with Himeno felt somewhat nostalgic when she wasn't throwing tantrums and waving fists in the air. She reminded him of her.

"Go, you know your duty. Hayate, return to patrol."

"Eh? Shouldn't Hayate also stay here and guard with me just in case that guy decides to attack her upfront?" Go was surprised at Kei's decision. "I mean, I wouldn't be able to take of it myself. And Himeno's in no state to pret."

"No, Hayate needs to protect maidens offsite. Just pray that he doesn't show up for a late night battle."

"Don't worry, Go. I trust in you to protect her well. Besides, I'll arrive really fast in case something does happen." Hayate walked over to his leader's side. "I'll leave now."

"Proceed." Light watched Wind exit.

"Kei, I still think Hayate's the better protector for Himeno. He's much stronger than I am"

"Go, they can't be together. And your pret today proves that you'll do fine."

"Are you that afraid of the past!" Go asked, almost shouting. "Hayate can't possibly make the same mistake again."

"And that is precisely why I will make sure it doesn't happen again. I won't let the both of them pret for the sake of Leafeania." Kei's calm face was too inhuman.

"Kei! You can't mean that. Hayate's potential combined with hers will make him unstoppable against the enemy. It'll be the fastest route to victory."

"And it'll also lead us into another disaster, Go. One I'm not willing to face again."

"Kei!"

"I'm not willing to lose another brother." With that, the Light vanished from the room."

Go could not continue his refutes. In frustration and sadness, he roughly sat on the edge of the Pretear's bed. "Kei...you care too much that you're so selfish sometimes. Losing Sasame...you haven't gotten over it yet?" He glanced in the direction of the sleeping princess. "And you...aren't you quite the surprise?" His voice lowered. "Your heart...you're lying to yourself, aren't you?" And with a whisper, he spoke his final words for the night. "I felt it. You do want to find a true love for yourself, don't you?"

* * *

"Ahh Makoto! What can I do for you?" The father greeted his fellow servant. The reading room welcomed the unexpected visitor.

"Master Awayuki, I'm concerned about Miss Himeno. During the past few days, she has been eluding my sights and I cannot watch her as I've been appointed to. I would like to make a proposal." The young servant stood full of mirth, his uniform crisp and tidy.

"A proposal?"

"Yes, for her safety."

"Safety? She hasn't been doing anything dangerous lately from what I've seen. I've just assigned you to keep an eye on her. To make sure she doesn't disappear from the estate. Himeno's not planning on running away...is she?"

"Oh no, sir. I've heard rumors about a devious creature on the prowl. Local towns have been attacked with no recollection of the monster. I fear that it may have reached the estate and should Miss Himeno encounter it..."

"Rumors? Well, until the creature is actually spotted, I don't think I'll be concerned with it appearing on the property. I do have guard dogs on the edges of the premises. They'll alert the security if this rumored monster appears."

"Very well, then."

"I fear no monster in this land. Legends and myths shouldn't be taken too seriously. They are interesting to read and study, but in the end they do not exist."

"I wouldn't take it too lightly, sir. The safety of your household does rely on your judgment and protection." The servant's voice coaxed the master to think about possibilities.

"Since this concerns you greatly, Makoto. I'll look into it. If there's a least bit of evidence of this monster, I'll take precautions." Mr. Awayuki gave into the idea. "But...what does this have to do with Himeno's safety? Her safety is as precious as everyone's here."

Makoto's smile was almost devious. He parted his half-smirked lips to reply. "Because rumor has it that the monster is particularly fond of devouring young girls."

* * *

Under the dim light of the moon, the blood illuminated as a thick scarlet trail from their bodies. The shadows laughed at the slayed creatures, dogs that had been trained to ward off the enemy. It was a joke, almost a waste of time killing them. Their spirit was worthless to him; they couldn't even be considered as snacks. He had been after their blood and horrible demise. The bloodier, the better.

The knights were useless against him. Hayate's pathetic fight disappointed him. He had thought that the Wind Knight would use the full extent of his special ability to save himself. That gust of wind that had sliced his army was unimpressive. Where had all the destructive power gone?

"Did you lose your touch? Or have you become a coward? If you face me like that, you'll lose. I won't even have fun torturing you."

Haidhis decided to massacre anything with a heartbeat in a small radius of 100 meters. He listened to bodies dropping and blood splattering. Nothing had the chance to even scream. It was hardly amusing. Nothing seemed to satisfy his craving to destroy. He could hardly wait.

"Just wait, Takako. I'll revive your soul by taking all of Leafeania's life. I'll use her soul to replace yours. And then you'll come back to me."

He greeted the silence that came with death. It was delicious.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

* * *

Author's Notes: Ah, I'm trying to unfold the story quickly with as much detail as possible (Just to follow the pattern of the manga). I laid a few seeds for twists in the story too. Ah, I hope readers enjoyed this incredibly delayed chapter. My final year of engineering courses will be in full speed within a few weeks. I'll try my best for updates ToT.

As for Four Months For Eternity, I have decided to drop it for several reasons. Difficulty in writing it and time allocation. I am not adequate enough of a writer to bring the story to half its full potential. Why? The story deals with several issues that requires additional research, time I don't have. Maybe one day I'll finish it, but not now. I apologize to fans for the disappointment...but I suppose if I get spammed with enough readers telling me to continue on its crash-burning course, I might reconsider and give it my best shot without the research.


	5. Drown All Your Doubts

KeyQuis: zomg! It's an update! (humbly apologizes for the incredibly delayed update...) I hope this chappie will somewhat appease the long wait. Not quite proofread properly.

Chapter 5: Drown All Your Fears

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

* * *

_"So how does it feel?"_

It was the same place as last time. The same decrepit haunted forest of emptiness and fear.

_"You're in a game that even your knights don't know all the rules to."_

Himeno felt the chill of the air as she breathed. The dream world she entered belonged to none other than her worst nightmare. He once again intruded upon her slumber and Himeno felt a suffocating presence in her surroundings.

_"Ah...I'll let you wake up as soon as I'm done."_

Himeno's attention went to the pair of thorn-ridden gates that beckoned death.

_"Don't you want to see what's inside? See what lies beyond these gates?"_

Her eyes replied with silent anger. She stared at the looming figure standing in front of the gates, pouring out all her disgust, anger, bitterness and hatred she held for him. A bloody moon gave light to his faint silhouette. His attire was an overflowing cloak with a hood to hide his face.

"What do you want this time, you demon!" She kept clenched fists close to her sides, hoping to lash out if chance presented itself.

_"Demon? I stand corrected, my little princess. Insults should be saved when you know the truth."_

Himeno took a fearful step back as she watched the shadows moved about him, dancing like flickering flames. Outlines of butterflies began materializing from his cloak, lending their bodies to form a pair of frightening wings. The crimson red dots on his wings were the eyes of blood lust.

"Stop toying with me!" Himeno could feel her spirit blaze into an angry mass.

_"Toy? Hmm... I'm not toying with you. I'm taunting them. Hayate in particular. Yes, I'm taunting your dear Wind Knight."_

She heard a laugh full of malice and mockery as he approached her with his outstretched wings. Shadows crept up and inched up closer to reach their goal.

Himeno did not flinch away, instead she pressed on for an answer.

"What about Hayate?"

"_Because…you see…he's the reason that I've become this."_

"Become this?"

"_And now I will show you the sweet taste of blood. The sweet enchantment of an endless realm of darkness and eternal slumber…Just as she is having."_

"What?"

"_Awake to the fear of knowing nothing. Realize the uncertainty inside of you. Fill your heart with anxiety, fear, hatred, pity and an inconsolable darkness."_

His voice was like a hypnotic spell, commanding her to body to quiver and legs to collapse. It was as if all the air was stolen away and there was nothing to breathe in. Himeno watched death flap its wings towards her.

"_I can't kill you in your dream, princess." _His figure towered over her fallen state, his wings landed on her. _"But I can still hurt you."_

"W-W-Why are you –" Himeno managed to slip a few words out of her mouth as she endured the fear. She wanted to know more.

"_Because you know nothing."_

* * *

Her body felt on fire when she snapped up from her nightmare. Her breaths came out in chokes as she gasped for the air around her. Her skin was clammy from the cold sweat.

"Himeno!"

Go had been by her side the moment she slipped into the other realm. He could find no source of entry from Haidhis and frantically did his best to awake her slumber. Darkness had consumed the room and Go did his best to keep her body alit with his fire. He wanted to call the others, but everyone was on duty and unless it was a direct contact attack, there was no leaving of their assigned posts for battle. Himeno was his responsibility and he couldn't fail.

Himeno felt Go's hands try to steady her shivering body. All Himeno could think of were the words she last heard. She didn't want to lose to her fear. She didn't want to be beaten by Haidhis. It seemed as if the Prince of Darkness was merely playing with her and mocking her naivety.

"Are you alright?" Go watched her go limp in his arms. "What happened this time?"

_What did he mean? Became this…know nothing. What is it that I need to know? What is it that I'm missing?_

"Go…" Himeno started in a whisper, "I need to know."

"Know what?" Go looked a little puzzled at her response."

"More…know more." Her vision grew hazy.

"Did he say anything to you?"

"I'm so tired...I want to sleep, but I'm scared." Her honesty felt embarrassing. She didn't want to show any weakness in herself.

Go was about to reply with words of comfort, but another voice entered the room.

"So he came to her again."

"Kei!" Go was surprised at his leader's presence. "What are you doing here?"

"I found his entry point to the dream world. It's in the flowers." Kei approached the bedside and looked at Himeno's weakened condition. "He can't kill her inside the dream, but he can still take bits of her spirit away."

"What do you mean it's in the flowers?" Go raised.

Himeno looked into the face of the young boy. There was no fear in his eyes. Both Hayate and Go had been frantic when she awoke from the nightmares. Kei's composure remained solid and unfazed. It was as if he knew everything and therefore had nothing to panic about.

"It was faint, but I detected a thin trail of his broodlings amongst the lilac patches, not too far from her room. They were butterflies nesting in the petals. I destroyed them, but there's no doubt he'll try again."

"Butterflies? Not spiders? This doesn't make sense." Go wanted his leader to explain the details.

"Butterflies may be larger, but they don't create webs that'll give away their location. You also need to use more of them, but I guess he wanted to create a stronger entry point rather than many multiple ones that easily get detected." Kei answered Go's silent question. "What did he say to you, Himeno?"

"All I can remember is...Because you know nothing," Himeno weakly replied. She struggled to recall more of her conversation. "I..."

"That's enough. You need to rest now, Himeno." Kei gracefully climbed on her bed and placed one hand to her forehead. "I'm going to give you some of my spirit to replenish what he took. It should calm you down as well. Go, cover my watch for me. I'll stay with Himeno for the rest of tonight until we formulate a new plan of protection." His hands were small and full of warmth.

"Alright...your watch is where?"

"All of the estate. I haven't covered the east and north forest premise yet."

"No problem." Go helped Himeno rest up against her pillows.

"If anything should happen, call Mannen. He's finished his rounds already, earlier than expected but nonetheless fine with me.

"Got it." Go made his exit out through her balcony. He left with words of parting, "Don't worry, Himeno. We'll give the guy a beating when he shows up in the real world."

Himeno wanted to ask Kei something, but his soothing spirit had put her into a peaceful sleep. She told herself that she'd ask him again in the morning, if she still remembered.

Kei sighed to himself shortly after she closed her eyelids and her steady breathing indicated a relaxed sleep. He tried to suppress all his sad thoughts and predictions.

"Because you know nothing. You really chose words to hurt her," Kei muttered to himself. "She hardly knows herself as the Pretear, us as knights and let alone the enemy."

_I'll tell everyone when the time comes. Right now, I will let things be as they are. I will stop you, even if it costs me my light. I won't let you take her soul._

* * *

Go watched his fire consume the animal corpses. The grisly discovery was made when he smelled the putrid odour of rotting blood in the north forest. He found the ground stained with blood. He couldn't recognize any of the animals, only saw bits of fur and pieces of appendages lying on the ground. The only thing he could do for them was properly dispose of their remains before anyone found out. There was nothing he could do for the trees and grass though.

He recalled the Pretear's words.

_"...because you know nothing."_

Go grimaced as he scratched his head in thought. "What the heck is he saying? Who does he think he is, coming on with such weird words?"

_It is strange though. If he's skilled enough to avoid our detection and invade her dreams with such ease, why hasn't he shown his face yet? His actions are so different from those we've fought in the past. There use__d__ to be relentless attacks in the towns, more focused on maidens. But from what I've gathered so far, the attacks have been mainly area wide, making us spend so much spirit. _

"It's almost as if he's trying to-" _Drain all our strength. _Go abruptedly stopped his internal ranting. A fearful revelation crept into this mind. "No way, there's no way! He's just a demon, there's no way he'd know about something like that!" He started on a swift flight back to the mansion. "I've got to tell Kei!"

He flew hardly 10 metres before his body was slammed into the ground. Go coughed out the dirt and dust he caught upon impact. Before he had the chance to look up at what hit him, he took another painful blow and felt his body imprint itself a few feet into the ground.

"Hmm. The Knight of Fire thinks he's got his enemy all figured out."

Go lay in the ground helplessly as Haidhis mocked him.

"There's no way! He's just a demon." Haidis's voice mimicked the words and voice of the Fire Knight's. "I've got to tell Kei!" Haidhis laughed as he circled around his fallen angel prey. "Well, hot stuff. Where are your blazing flames? How about your mighty axe?" He kicked a few pebbles at his prey in disgust. "Oh yes, how can I overlook such a thing? You can't do anything without the Pretear. You knights are worthless without your princess. She's - "

"SHUT UP!"

"-nothing more than-"

"SHUT UP!"

"-food for your soul."

"AHHHHH!" Go roared as he released his reserved spirit. Flames leapt off his skin, giving him a protective aura.

Haidhis granted him a smirk from underneath his hood. The moonlight shadows favoured him with an ethereal glow. "That's as much power I'd expect from a you anyways."

"You talk too much, you know," Go retorted. He did his best to conserve his energy. "A demon speaks nothing but lies and half-truths."

"I can already sense your power wavering. It's hard to fight without her, isn't it?"

"If you're so strong, then why haven't you shown up to destroy us?"

"Six on one is rather unfair, don't you agree? Seven including your Pretear, still isn't enough of a challenge for me. I'll wait patiently for you fools to actually become fun to destroy."

"You arrogant, son of a -" Go spat out without thinking.

Haidhis quickly cut him off. "Careful now, you might be insulting yourself at the same time. According to the principles of creation, we were crafted by the same hands."

"You..."

"Oh yes, before I seriously hurt you. I will leave a message with you for Kei."

"What?" Go was flabbergasted at the request and the shock threw him off guard. Instantly, a swarm of darkness devoured him. He felt breathless as everything became black.

"Tell him, his light is too weak to save anyone. Good night, then." With a snap of his fingers, his butterfly minions smothered the Fire Knight's flames to the point of a dying kindle. He watched the sparks valiantly cling on. "And you'd better not die now...because the first one I want to kill is Kei."

* * *

"Hey Hajime, do you ever get the feeling that Kei's working too hard?"

It had been a fairly quiet night for Mannen, who had no troubles whatsoever in his shift. It had been too eerily quiet, but he had no complaints. He presumed that Haidhis was too busy elsewhere or too lazy to come out tonight. He decided to join Hajime, who was in the next surveillance area over.

"Hmm, I think Kei's always like though," Hajime replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I dunno, it just seems that he's always running around without telling us. I mean, he gives us our orders and flies off with this stern look on his face." Mannen frowned as he thought some more. "Does our leader even sleep? I can't remember the last time I saw him go to bed ever since this started!"

"Well, us knights are meant to work hard to defend the sanctity and peace of the land. I'm sure Kei has his own reasons for doing things the way he does them. He's our leader, I trust him." Hajime halted in mid-air and pointed down to the ground. "How about we take break down by that lake? We've finished my run already."

"Sure, race ya then." Mannen grinned and blitzed down the spot, leaving Hajime hanging in the sky.

"Cheater!" Hajime hollered out as descended too. "You started without me."

"Meh, you know how I play." Mannen playfully whipped some water at his angelic brother.

"Yeah, like a loser." Hajime stuck out his tongue. "I don't understand how you can be serious one second and then kid around the next." He gracefully returned the favour with a flick of his wrist, which sent a large wave of water at his brother.

"Ha! Then why do you join in if I'm just a joker?" Mannen began wringing out his soaked uniform. "It's because it's fun. All work and no play makes our jobs boring."

Hajime felt a pang of anger surge through his spirit. "Don't ever say that again! Our jobs are not boring! It's not just a job. It's our duty! Our reason for existence!" He slapped Mannen across the face with a burst of water. "You insult us!"

"Well, Father didn't create us just so we would work our wings off helping people! We get to enjoy our lives too! We're not just puppets or pawns serving our master without our own will." Mannen froze the next oncoming wave. "We weren't created for that. Kei's mistaken."

Hajime stopped himself from hurling all the lake's water at Mannen. "Are you saying that Kei's not doing his job right? That he's mistaken for working so hard to protect this land? That he's -"

"That's not what I meant! I'm saying that Kei's forgotten what it means to be a child of God. He's not taking care of himself-" Mannen dodged another forth coming wave. "And will you stop this!"

"Kei's trying his best! You know that better than anyone so why are you insulting him!" Hajime huffed as he retreated his hands back down to his side. He felt frustration and regret at his actions. "Kei is bearing so much of our burden, the least we can do is support his actions and do our duties well."

"Well, I don't want to watch Kei destroy himself by overworking. It's pitiful to see him like that all the time," Mannen spat out harshly. "He's not sharing his troubles for our sakes. We're a team! We aren't supporting him if we let him do everything without consulting us. He's more than our leader, he's our oldest brother."

"You're...really worried about Kei, aren't you?" Hajime asked quietly

"Obviously I am! Aren't you?" Mannen queried, surprised that Hajime finally caught onto his feelings.

"I never thought about it." Hajime looked away, a bit upset at himself for acting so rashly without thinking it through. He sudden outburst at Mannen had been completely uncalled for. "I'm...sorry I didn't realize it. I mean, you're joking all the time. How was I suppose to know that you were worried?"

"I joke to lift our spirits, ease our stress. Not because I'm not serious about work." Mannen chuckled. "You should know that by now."

"Sorry. I caught carried away."

"Yeah, I know you. Always getting upset for no reason."

"Hey! That's not true," Hajime protested, "How could I not get mad when you said that being an Angel Knight was boring! Even Kei would get angry!"

"Kei would probably just glare at me and rebuke my mouth. Go, on the other hand, would probably be like you and throw some fireballs in my face. Yeah, Go is a total hothead." Mannen laughed.

"Yeah, Go would set himself on fire with his feisty spirit," Hajime added and noticed that Absolute Zero stopped laughing. "Mannen?"

"Go...I don't feel his presence anywhere!" Mannen grew frantic and focused harder. "I don't feel his life at all!"

Hajime searched as well, asking the waters for help. "Water, which connects all life, tell me if Blazing Justice has any contact to you." He waited for a reply. Water flowing through all the roots of plants spoke up. The ripples pointed toward the Awayuki Estate. "I think he's still at Himeno's place."

"Were they attacked? Why wasn't there a distress call?" Mannen instantly took flight along with Hajime. "Arg, we should've noticed the moment something was wrong."

"But...we were fighting."

"Ah, forget it! Let's just get there fast!"

* * *

Kei felt his heart go cold. The dreadful sense of fear took claim of his peace. He felt Go's spirit rise tremendously, only to disappear the next instant. He could only think the worst. As much as he wanted to find his brother, he couldn't leave the princess unguarded.

_Please, I hope one of you get there in time. He's only hanging in by a kindle. _Kei could only pray for Go's safety. Himeno was still very vulnerable in her state, even though he doubted that Haidhis would attack her twice in one night. A low-class demon may try a futile attempt on her soul, but that would only happen if it could break an Angel Knight's barrier.

_Was it my fault, what happened those many years ago? _

He glanced over at Himeno, with his childish eyes full of sorrow. Smalls hand went to adjust the blanket covers over her shoulders. Her peaceful slumber was envious, but he knew it wouldn't last for much longer. His foresaw they inescapable destiny called death waiting for her.

_Himeno Awayuki. There is much that you don't know. There is something I'm too scared to tell you. You already know that we have an affinity for your soul...but you can kill your own soul during a pret if you put too much heart into it. You have no control over yourself. And it makes it much harder for us to suppress the craving. Beyond our conscience, we can eat your soul just like Haihis. _

"I'll make you quit being the Pretear if you keep overexerting yourself on us." Kei whispered the wordsto the air. "I will not entrust you with the life of my brothers."

The Light Knight stayed with the princess until the rise of dawn, a new tomorrow.

* * *

"How's Go doing?" The Plant Knight scurried over to the recuperation tree, where the Fire Knight rested.

"Not good, Shin. He was barely alive when we got there. Hajime and I didn't notice it soon enough." Mannen cursed under his breath. "I...we...failed Go."

"Don't blame yourself. We all share responsibility for each other." Shin tried to soothe Mannen's anxiety by patting his shoulder gently. "Besides, Go tried his best and he's still alive. He'll recover in no time with a bit of rest."

"That brings us down one knight," Mannen grumbled, "Haidhis...I'll get him for sure."

"You will not do such rash an action, Absolute Zero," a commanding voice came from behind.

"Kei! What are you doing here?" Shin turned around and met his leader with surprised eyes. "What about Himeno?"

"Hajime is now watching over her. And Hayate is still working on the Awayuki grounds. We should be alright for now, but there's really no telling what will happen since Haidhis came into direct contact with us." Kei walked over to Go's bedside and placed his small hand over his brother's heart. "I can feed him some of my spirit so he'll awake sooner. I'd like the both of you to head back down to Leafeania and search for clues to Haidhis's whereabouts. There must be a trail he left behind during last night's attack."\

Mannen ruffled his snow white hair with one hand, feeling overwhelmingly agitated. "I just don't get it."

"Get what, Mannen?" Shin gave a him a worried look.

"All of this. I mean. Why didn't he kill Go? Is he making us play cat and mouse or something? Geez, what is that guy up to? Why isn't he like the others we've fought?"

"Mannen. That is enough." Kei replied in a sharp and cold manner. "Thinking about that is useless right now. We have to focus on our priorities. And we should be thankful that he spared Go. I don't know what his intentions are, but time will tell."

Mannen muttered a few crude words under his breath. "Whatever you say, boss."

Shin gently smiled as he opened up a gate. "We'll be on our way now. Come on, Mannen." He let Mannen head through the door first before tilting his head to speak his thoughts to his leader. "Kei...I do agree with Mannen. I'm not sure what's going on, but it seems like you have a better grasp on the situation than we do. It's just a hunch."

"Shin..." Kei sounded apologetic. "Please just wait a bit longer until I find out more. I promise I'll let you know everything as soon as I have it all figured out. Please just let me be the only one to worry about it, alright?"

"Just...tell us if you need help, okay? We don't want the same thing to happen to you like with Go," Shin pleaded softly to his older brother. "We're all in this together, right?"

Kei merely nodded his head slightly in affirmation. "Take care, then. I'll see you later." He watched his younger brother disappear through the gate of light to Leafeania before turning his attention to another younger brother.

"Go...I'm sorry you had to meet him so fast. I thought he would've gone for me first." Kei placed his small right hand over Go's beating heart. "This is the most I can do for you, a hasted recovery." He began removing the darkness eating the Fire's light.

* * *

"Himeno. Hello?"

The teacher found no response from her dazing student.

"HIMENO!"

Her student toppled back in her seat and crashed onto the ground. Her head thumped onto the solid marble floor, creating a painful echo in the study room.

"Himeno! Are you okay?" Yayoi hurriedly went to her student's side.

"Yeah." Himeno picked herself up and dusted off the back of her head. "Perfectly fine."

"You've been like this since breakfast, dear. Perfectly fine isn't what I'd use."

"Ah...really?" Himeno replied dully.

Her mind was consumed with thoughts of last night's events. His words haunted her since the start of the morning. Her body felt heavy when she woke up and all she wanted to do was to sleep some more if not for Hajime being by her bedside instead of Go. Instantly, she knew something had happened. It hadn't been easy prying an answer out of the Water Knight. Himeno had resorted to using a small degree of her physical strength to coax the answer out.

"Himeno," Yayoi cast a concerned face at her pupil. "I don't know what's been going on lately with you, but it really seems like you're troubled with something beyond your control or understanding. Ever since your 16th birthday, your daily life has changed. Your father has told me that you've been running off to places that Makoto can't even keep up with. He has no idea what his little princess has been doing."

"I'm no princess! I despise that word. It doesn't fit me at all. I wish people would stop referring me like that," Himeno suddenly burst out. "It's so annoying."

"Sorry, I can't help it. It's just that your mother always spoke like that about you." Yayoi's eyes adverted away. "I know she's gone...I'm trying to watch over you in her place, but I guess I'm no good."

Himeno felt awful for snapping harshly at her teacher and her mother's treasured friend. Her own foul mood disgusted herself. Maybe it was the stress or pressure of being the Pretear, along with Haidhis's uneventful visits. "I'm sorry for earlier on. It's just that I've been going through so many things that I'm not sure what to do about it. Maybe not so many things, but there's something that's bothering me and I don't know how to get an answer for it."

"Well, you don't have to feel obligated to tell me everything. Just tell someone you feel comfortable with, someone you trust. I don't feel I am the right person to hear you out," Yayoi interrupted.

"You're probably right about that."

"How about I cancel today's lesson and you just take the afternoon off getting better? I can't have you dazing away when you should be concentrating on your studies," Yayoi scolded.

"Hmm, alright. I'll take my leave now." Himeno tucked in her chair and tidied up her books.

"Be sure to return to your energetic self, Himeno."

"I'll try."

Himeno walked down the long corridor that were bright from the numerous windows along the wall, ignoring her shadows that followed along her side.

"I need to know more...about what?" _More of what I don't understand. _"So what is it that I don't understand?" _Everything. I want to know more about being the Pretear...more about Haidhis too._ _And the knights._ "I want to know more of what's going on."_ I want to know what Haidhis was talking about. _

Himeno unknowingly walked right into the wall at the end of the corridor. Her books crashed onto the hard marble floor and lay a strew. She scolded herself for being careless and picked everything back up into her arms. Himeno sighed, "Just what am I doing? I'm being an idiot for letting it get to me."

_I want to go see mother._

* * *

"Yeah, so be careful from now on, Hayate." Hajime finished discussing Go's ordeal with Haidhis. "I know you're strong, but don't get careless."

"So...are you watching Himeno now that Go's temporarily out?" Hayate busied himself with planting seedlings of spring, appearing like a regular worker at the mansion.

"I'm not sure. I don't really have the confidence in myself to do the job. It's such a big responsibility." Hajime sounded sad as he said those words. "Compared to Go, my power isn't very strong. I blessed the land's water and Haidhis still broke through the barrier."

"How can that be? Demon's can't cross the barrier that easily regardless of power." Hayate shot Hajime a puzzled look.

"That's what I thought too, but Kei is saying he's stronger than before and he probably can walk over it like nothing. We couldn't even detect him. The water couldn't even sense his presence...I...I," Hajime frustratedly pounded his fist into the soft soil in the flower bed," feel so useless, so powerless against him."

"Hajime...you gave it your best, right? Isn't that enough?" Hayate tried to lift the leaded feeling off the Water Knight's heart.

"If my best doesn't do anything, what good is it at all? It's the same as nothing." The Water Knight willed his tears back. "Go got hurt. And I'm not strong enough to protect Himeno by myself."

"Then...become stronger...that's all you can do, right?" Hayate released a sympathetic sigh. "That's what I did back then," he continued, "It was the only choice I had back then." He stopped midway spreading the seeds onto the soil. He grit his teeth as the vivid memory of his awakened past. The cursed feeling of being powerless and unable to help anyone, the wretched feeling of being useless and a burden, and the guilty feeling of being the reason why someone else suffered. Hayate frustratedly crushed the seeds in his hand, destroying their hope of ever blossoming into a beautiful flower.

"Hayate...you..." Hajime knew about Hayate's star-crossed life before becoming an Angel Knight. "You were only a child. You can't blame yourself for what happened those so many years ago. It's not your fault."

"Yes it is! Hayate angrily rose up and faced Hajime. "Because I was born...because I was weak...mother and father died protecting me."

Hajime felt the shards of wind surrounding the one before him. Hayate's spirit was dampened with remorse and anger at himself. The wind was numbing the warm spring air. Hajime thought of only one thing to bring Hayate back to his senses - douse his face with cold water. With a smooth flick of his wrist, a strong wave of water came forth and hit Hayate in the face.

"You can blame yourself all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that you're alive. You're alive, Hayate." Hajime watched Hayate's indignant eyes hide themselves behind wet hair. "And you're right about becoming stronger. Whining about being weak is meaningless." Water grabbed Wind by the neck and forced their eyes to meet. "I appreciate your advice, but don't ever blame yourself for being born. That choice isn't yours to make."

The Wind viciously pulled itself out of the Water's grip. "Then what about Sasame? I let him down."

"Every knight is responsible for his own well-being, including others as well. Every knight knows there's the risk of being destroyed. We can't blame ourselves." Hajime's words came back to him as a dawned revelation. Hayate stared at him with a harsh expression of shock. The both of them had been hypocritical about their situation.

"Ah dangit," Hajime muttered. "Letting such a simple thing get to us."

"Yeah," Hayate answered. "I can't help it. My parents faces...my mother's scream...my father's blood. I can still remember the day they were killed."

"It's only natural for a parent to protect his child." Hajime's voice descended to a low audible whisper. "After all, we can't help but to protect what's precious to us...right? Besides, Sasame died trying to protect the Pretear,Takako, right?"

"It still hurts. The memory hurts." Hayate dried himself off with his wind, while feeling remorse for crushing the flower seeds. "It hurts, but I can never forget. I don't ever want to forget my parents."

Hajime could only offer a reassuring pat on the shoulder to the younger knight. "No matter how deep the pain, I wouldn't ever want to forget everyone important to me. We exist for each other's sakes. Just keep that cherishing feeling in your heart, which makes you so strong, Hayate." Hajime tried to decipher the vast sky hidden in Hayate's eyes. It was like an endless sky filled with storms. "You're stronger than Kei, than all of us. But that power is meaningless if you don't use it to protect. Put the past behind you and fight for a tomorrow that holds today."

"Hajime. I don't cherish anything anymore. I don't want to protect anymore. I just want to get this battle over with and go back to sleep. I don't care about being an Angel Knight." There was no life in the wind. It wanted to disappear into the sky.

"You're still just a kid! Acting like a little brat." Hajime flung Hayate to the ground with rage. "Don't care? Don't lie! Everyone saw how much fun you had at the party. Mannen wanted so much for you to enjoy yourself that he risked a scolding from Kei. And your mother didn't give birth to you just so you could sleep your life away, Eternal Motion! Don't bring shame to your father either, who gave everything up for you."

Hayate felt his soul crumbling away. The mention him grieving his mother and father brought him to the edge of tears.

"What about Himeno?" Hajime inquired seriously. "Don't you want to protect her?"

"I don't know." Hayate wore an irritated and flustered expression. "How can I if Kei won't let me?"

"He's only keeping you at a distance. You're still near her."

"Only during the day."

"So are you implying you want to be near here during day and night?" Hajime pressed on, hoping to hear that the Wind Knight did care about their princess.

Hayate felt trapped at the question. He had never thought about it that way before. "Well, that is the job of the primary knight, isn't it? Since I'm not that knight, it doesn't matter anymore."

"You were her first primary protector," Hajime reminded him.

"Well, until Kei thought it was too risky for me to be near her."

"He's only afraid she'll fall in love with you, that's all. After what happened with Takako...of course, he's afraid. Kei used up most of his Light to end the last battle and save us."

"Can we stop talking about this? It's really draining my mind. I want to be left alone, now." Hayate stood up and glanced towards his abandoned work. "I have work to complete."

"Whatever, I'm going off to train. I leave Himeno in your care now." Hajime suppressed his vexation. "If there's any reason to care, do it for your father."

"That's not fair," Hayate bitterly protested. "Using my father like that."

"Well, what else did you expect? You inherited his title after all," Hajime bitterly stated. "He passed on all his power to his child before we decided on choosing a new Wind Knight." With that closing remark, he flew off into the distance.

Hayate ripped a blast of wind at the sky to relieve the bottled emotion of hatred in his heart.

"I am not...my father's replacement."

_Understand, Hayate? You don't have to be anyone other than yourself. There's no point in being a cheap imitation of someone else. You need to be the real version of yourself. I don't want you to feel like a replacement because you're not. You are just Hayate to me. Not Hayate, son of the beloved Passionate Breeze, Zephyrei. And I am just Sasame. It doesn't matter that I am the Benign Perfect Harmony, the one-angel choir of every voice and sound. The title does not define you. Your heart defines you. So don't worry about meeting everyone's expectations. You are not your father._

"Sasame..." The haunting, yet beautiful name brought back bittersweet memories. "I'm so alone now without you watching out for me."

* * *

Himeno absentmindedly kicked the stray stones on the path under her feet. The dull sound of stone rolling against stone played a random melody on its own. She chewed on her lower lip, hoping an answer would come up. She had probably wandered around the estate grounds for an hour.

"Miss Himeno! Watch out!"

Himeno's martial arts instincts kicked in and out of purely natural reflex did she avoid walking into a freshly dug hole in front of her. Somehow, she managed jump off to the side and all onto a warm stony path rather than into a pit of cold dirt. She blinked a few times, thinking of what an idiot she was.

"Miss Himeno! Are you alright?" Anxious footsteps approached her.

Himeno felt an arm around her waist and a hand supporting her arm, putting her up back on her feet. A strange tingly feeling covered her skin and she quickly dismissed the feeling as that of embarrassment and not of fear. The goose bumps on her skin showed her reaction to the cold touch. Himeno made eye contact with her watcher, who showed concern for her safety. His eyes seemed to bore into her thoughts.

"Makoto? Uh." Himeno quickly pushed off his arm and made some distance between them. "Uh, that was close. Thanks for calling out and warning me. I would've fallen in that hole for sure." Himeno couldn't help but to squirm under his gaze.

"May I ask as to why the young miss is doing all the way out in the southern garden? The area is under going renovations for summer." His voice was soft and charming to her ears.

"Ahahahahaha," Himeno kidded and laughed nervously. "Southern garden, you say? Well, I do live here. I have the right to go wherever I please...and I didn't know it was under renovations." Himeno hoped he couldn't see that she was lying right through her teeth. "Well, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the main house, Makoto?"

Makoto smiled as he answered. "I am your appointed watcher. And I've been asked to help out the part-timer with the logistics in this area. Master Awayuki does not want the fellow to get lost."

"Part-timer?"

"Ah, the one called, Hayate. The one the master has taken quite a fancy towards." A little laugh escaped his lips.

"Oh."

Himeno found herself drawn to the sound of his voice. It was pretty and in contrast to his cold touch earlier on, it was warm and soothing, very comforting to her ears. His usual hair and eye colour in shades of brown looked different today. The sunlight cast on him seem to reflect a different colour in Himeno's eyes. The shine in his hair was a bright light blonde, almost silver. His eyes twinkled with a mysterious shade of lavender. She rubbed her eyes to make sure it wasn't her imagination. The shades of brown returned and she blinked some more to make sure.

"Is there something on my face, miss?"

"Oh, not at all. I just thought...never mind. I've been so out of it this morning that I must be seeing things." Himeno let out goofy grin. "For a moment, I thought you had white hair and purple eyes. Can you believe it? Ahahaha." Himeno was thinking how much of an idiot she must have sounded. "Oh don't mind me. I've been speaking gibberish all day!" Her laughter sounded so fake.

"Don't say that, Miss Himeno." Makoto lifted his hand and brushed his knuckles gently on her cheek. "Sometimes, we all see something out of the ordinary...see something unexpected. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Makoto retreated his hand and fixed a casual glance at her. "Sometimes, I think I see angels."

"A..a...angels?" Himeno stammered. "You're kidding me, right?" _And here I thought I was the only one..._ "You see them? How?"

"Would you like to sit down somewhere and I'll tell you? Standing in the sun rather hurts my eyes." Makoto pointed towards a nearby bench resting underneath a maple tree surrounded by ivy.

"Uh sure."

"If I tell you how I see angels, will you tell me what's troubling you?" His voice coaxed for a yes in reply. "You seem as if you have a burden that you want to get off your mind."

"Uhh." Himeno frowned at herself. _I need to get a grip on this. I can't let it bother me anymore. _"Alright, I'll tell you."

* * *

They landed on the treetops and surveyed the wreckage below them. There were ashes lying below them. A sign that a fire had been in the area.

"It's no good, I can't hear the any of their voices." Shin withdrew his hand from the tree's bark. "I can feel Go's spirit stained on the plants, but I can't feel their own spirit. It's like they've been silenced. All I feel is sorrow."

"The trees aren't dead, are they?" Mannen hesitantly asked.

"At this rate, they'll wither and die. And I can't afford to use any of my power to restore them either." Shin hung his head low. "We have to catch Haidhis soon...before he kills everything."

"Hey, we'll catch him. Don't you worry," Mannen spoke confidently, "We'll find some way to lure him out."

"It seems as if we can only beat him if we're all together at this point. And how would we lure him out anyways?"

"Kei will think of something. He always does." Mannen grinned, hoping to cheer up the Plant Knight.

"Yeah...I'm sure he will." _I just want Kei to tell us more about the situation. I'm more concerned about what Kei's keeping from the rest of us._ Shin sighed. "Now, do we want to patrol or do we want to guard Himeno? I can't find a trace of Haidhis anywhere."

"Yeah...," Mannen scratched his head in thought," Well, I'd like to go see Himeno and check up on her. Plus, we should be guarding her more closely. My bet is Haidhis will be aiming for her."

"True, I still think one of us should patrol just in case something should happen. I'll go out, you can go to Himeno." Shin immediately took flight into the sky.

"Hey, wait up!" Mannen was surprised at Shin's swift leave and watched the Plant Knight disappear from sight. "Geez...that gave me a scare. Since when did you become the type who takes off just like that?"

Just before Mannen opened up his wings, something on the ground caught his eye. It was a tiny dark sparkle amidst the ashes, nearly invisible with all the tree shade surrounding the area. He went to get a closer look and it appeared to be the remnant wing of a butterfly. The instant he touched it, it became dust and joined the ashes. Mannen turned around full circle around the ground and discovered that all the ashes twinkled lightly. His eyes widened at the terrifying thought.

"By God... he buried you alive with these things." Mannen scarcely believed himself. "Unforgivable."

* * *

"They're different from humans. That's why I can see them."

"Eh?" Himeno's eyes bulged out in surprise. "That's it?" _Well, obviously they're different from us!_

"Ever heard of the saying that if everything becomes silent, it's because an angel just walked by?"

"Well, yeah." Himeno scrunched up her face. _When I first met Hayate...I don't remember it being silent. All the birds just flew towards him._ "I've heard of it, but it's not exactly quiet at my house. My father's voice can be heard anywhere."

"It's quiet at night. And it's quiet away from the house. Even know, I can hear animals in the forest. But silence...just happens in an instant."

"In an instant?"

"Yeah. An angel takes your breath away, making everything around you become silent. When you realize it, it's over and the angel's gone."

"I see." Himeno nodded her head. _Definitely not true in my case. This is a definitely different angel he's talking about."_

"Not always true though. You can sense their presence too, even when it's not silent. Their presence brings a sense of ease and peace to those around them. And it's been rumoured that they disguise themselves as humans to help a needy soul." Makoto peered over at Himeno with mischievous eyes. "I really believe that they're everywhere, always by our side, watching over us. And I bet one of them is beside you, right now." His voice was full of a playful tease.

Himeno fidgeted in her seat. His words were hitting too close to home for comfort. "You...really think so, eh? Now, why on earth would you think that there is an angel watching over me, right now? Ah ahahhah ahah," Himeno clumsily spewed out as she laughed it off as a joke.

"Because you're special."

"Huh?..." Himeno regained composure. "Special?"

"Well, I also believe that all girls are special. You might not believe it, but I'm quite the romantic at heart. Girls, especially those whose hearts are yearning for a destined love, are very special." Makoto's voice turned serious. "The young miss deceives herself when she says she has no interest in finding her soul mate."

"That's none of your business!" Himeno promptly stood up and yelled at her servant. "My personal life is none of your concern."

"Then why were you radiating with joy on that night of your birthday? Everyone saw you as a princess in their eyes when you had your last dance." Makoto stood up as well and faced her squarely. "It is none of my concern, as you've said, but I would like to point out the fact that you are denying yourself of the truth. You need to face your real feelings before it's too late. You need to be honest with what lies in your heart...before time ends and there's no chance to express them. Don't let it build up and have to regret it later on. Please do not lie to yourself, Miss Himeno. It will only hurt you in the end." Makoto took her left hand and enclosed it with both of his. "Don't you want your hand to be held...and feel the warmth of another?" His voice strained to tell her more. His eyes darkened to a violet shade underneath the cover of his brown bangs..

"Makoto? What's wrong?" Himeno felt a sudden chill at his strange behaviour.

"There was a girl I knew...she strived so hard for the one she loved...she just wanted to hold his hands and never let go...I wanted to the one she loved...but I never said anything. I just stayed silent and watched her. I just watched her."

"Makoto...," Himeno didn't know what to say in a situation like this. She thought she was suppose to be unloading a burden, instead she was on the receiving end of his thoughts.

"Miss Himeno...you should not have to watch the world pass by in love. You can convince your mind, but you will scar your heart every time you deny that you want nothing to do with love. Please do not end up like me...and watch the world go by, wishing for another chance at love." Makoto showed her an expression of sorrow and pain, a face that she'd never expected him to ever have.

"I'm sorry...for worrying you and making you tell me something like that. I'm really sorry, but I don't quite understand my feelings yet so I can't decide right now what to do." Himeno chewed on her lips, thinking for the right words. "But I'm grateful to have you share your experience for my sake. Uh, I won't probe or anything and I won't tell anyone...um...thanks a lot. I'll think about what you said." Himeno gently pulled her hand out of his.

"Well, I hope that helps your troubled mind."

"Huh? Troubled mind?...," Himeno pondered for a moment at what he meant.

"Well, weren't you troubled about love? Isn't that the reason why you were acting odd since morning, Miss?" Makoto explained.

"Oh no...I wasn't thinking about love...," Himeno paused, "...you thought..."

"Oh my...are you saying that love was not the reason for your troubled mind?" Makoto looked slightly abashed.

"No...not at all..."

"Oh...I guess I was terribly mistaken."

"Ah! It's okay!" Himeno grinned widely. "It's all in the past now."

"I guess I shouldn't assume that young girls think of nothing, but love. I do apologize, Miss."

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Well, then. Would you care to share what is really on your mind? I'd like to know your thoughts now that you know mine."

They both took their respective seats.

Himeno gazed up at the sky. "I wonder where I should start. I just want to know."

"Know what? That's a very vague thought."

"Know more...more about what I don't know."

Makoto raised a curious brow. "What you don't know?"

"Well, I want to know about the beginning, about every aspect. All the good and bad parts. I want to know more about what's going on. I just think there's more to story than what they told me."

"What is going on, Miss Himeno? Who's they?"

Himeno did want to babble about the Pretear situation to Makoto and unwind all her doubts and fears to him. She wanted the normal human before her to know about her troubles. But Himeno knew it was impossible. Her life had to remain a secret to the world. She couldn't carelessly add burden to someone who was willing to listen.

"I'm not quite sure how to say it. I'm facing some difficulties..err..well...in dealing with someone...I guess I just don't know what I'm up against. Arg! I don't know how to say it." Himeno clapped her cheeks in frustration. "It's hard to describe, Makoto."

"You should go to whoever got you into your dilemma and demand for an explanation."

"Demand?" Himeno never thought of it that way. "Wouldn't that be rude?"

"I think not. You don't know what you're up against. You want to know all the good and bad parts. I think it's more rude of the person to not tell you what you need to know. It's important to know even the littlest details sometimes."

"I guess I'm just doubting them. Maybe I'm being used...I don't know. I'm probably just scared..." Himeno sighed, not sure of her own feelings.

"Doubt is when you're not sure you can trust. You need to gather up your courage and ask the person to give you the whole story. I don't know what'll happen afterwards, but it'll probably be better off than having you not act like your normal self. You're better off being cheerful than distressed, Miss Himeno." He gave her a gentle pat on the head. "And if nothing works out, just quit. Forget about the situation and return back to your normal life."

"Makoto..."

"I'm not sure what's been going on with you recently. You disappear under my watch, you're no where to be found in the estate. You seem to be occupied in other things. As your servant, I can only wish you success in whatever you are doing."

Himeno quietly thought about his words. _Was I afraid all this time of knowing more? Did I get in over my head and rush into things without knowing anything? Makoto's right. I need to demand for an explanation. Who is Haidhis anyways? Things can't be that simple, right? And why are the knights always telling me to control my spirit? Isn't more power a good thing for them? Yes, I need to know these things. This isn't just some game where I'm a pawn to be played around as someone else toy. There must be more than what meets the eye. I need to know more. How everything begins and how it ends. I want to know more!_

Without warning, Himeno jumped up off her seat. She placed her hands on her hip, her mind full of renewed vigour and determination. "That's right! I can't sit back and think about things on my own. I need to go to the source of the problem and deal with it there. They got me into this mess. They better get me out of it too!" Himeno huffed a few times to catch her breath again. "Thanks a lot for the advice, Makoto."

"I'm glad to see the young miss cheerful again." He stood up as well. "Glad to be of some help to a distressed maiden," he said with a simple smile in the sunlight.

Himeno felt a breeze pass them by. Makoto's hair ruffled and her eyes seemed to deceive her mind. His hair did twinkle in a shade of silvery white before changing back to golden brown. Makoto gave off a surreal touch of existence. If he wasn't human, Himeno would have thought him to be an angel.

"If there is nothing else left you wish to tell me, I must get back to work. It was a pleasure to spend time with the young miss," Makoto bowed slightly and took a step to walk away.

"Please, just call me Himeno," she scolded. "And really...thanks a lot. I do feel much better now. And sorry if I've interrupted any of your work."

"Do take care of yourself...Himeno," he warmly spoke. "And don't let a chance at love pass you by."

Himeno watched him walk away and disappear into one of the many flower hedges in the southern garden.

"Alright...I need to go see...Kei. Yeah, he's the one who got me into the mess. I should go ask him. Since he's the leader, he should know the most about what's going on."

_Now how do I call an Angel Knight out?_

* * *

Hayate had listened in on her conversation with Makoto. The wind had notified him of her presence when she entered the area. He wanted to ask if she was feeling alright since he heard from Hajime about her reaction in the morning. Himeno doubted them, didn't wholly trust them like Kei had hoped for. Maybe she was dragged into to the battle too fast. Even Hayate had second thoughts about Kei now. He was the leader and it did seem like he was keeping a secret from them. But what bothered Hayate the most was what Makoto had shared with Himeno.

_"You need to be honest with what lies in your heart...before time ends and there's no chance to express them." _

_Those words...my father said something like that to me when I was young...right? I don't remember much of it. I'm sure my father said more than that._

_"Don't you want your hand to be held...and feel the warmth of another?"_

_Mother asked me once what is it that I wanted to hold in my hand. She told me she was happy holding father's hand. Was there something I wanted to hold in my hand? What was my answer those many years ago? Did I even have an answer?_

Hayate slumped against the stone angelic figure that he had been hiding behind. "The reason I woke up was to fight Haidhis, right?

* * *

It was unlike a flock of familiars that stole spirit from a single living being. This thing was a spirit vacuum, eating any bit of life it touched. It was a frightful sight. It's large body sucked up the water and spewed out slime from its mouth. Its porous body oozed a foul smell of death and decay. Hajime was helpless to attack the demon larvae by himself. From past experience, fire and ice where the most effective elements against the demon larvae.

_I have to hurry before the lake is destroyed. I have to get Himeno. _

He was so focused on Himeno that he didn't notice Hayate hiding close by. "Himeno! Hurry, Haidhis is attacking again." Hajime grabbed her hand and started an immediate flight. He didn't answer her protest until midair.

"What happened, Hajime?"

"That guy...sent in a demon larvae to eat up the lake."

"Demon larvae?..."

"You have to see it to get it. Right now, we just have to make it in time before everything is destroyed."

"Hey! What's going on, Hajime?" Hayate shouted, catching up to Hajime in flight.

"Hayate!" Himeno and Hajime both said in surprised unison.

"I was watching Himeno before you snatched her up in the air," Hayate answered.

"It's a demon larvae. We don't have much time to save the place."

"Alright...I sense it now. Ride my wind, it'll be faster." Hayate dashed ahead and carried the two behind him in his tail wind.

* * *

"Can your princess get stronger? If her heart changes, then I will change the my plan. Things will move faster. Light will become darkness. Confidence will become fear. Love will become hate. I will make you all suffer for Takako's tragedy."

Haidhis watched from the thickets of the forest. His butterflies loomed around him, masking his presence. His eyes were full of disgust as he watched them battle.

"Weaklings...nothing without your precious Pretear. It's only because her she has so much spirit that you can fight. Her wavering heart does you no good."

* * *

_Preting with Hajime is even more different than with Go and Shin. His spirit is like water...like I'm floating in a calm river. I move so gracefully and smoothly. _

She watched as Hajime swept the waves up and threw the demon larvae into the air.

"Now, Hayate! Cut it with your wind blades," the Water Knight hollered.

Without warning and before Hayate created a sharp wind, the demon larvae spat out acid streams from its pores. Hayate managed to dodge it swiftly. Hajime also dodged it easily and watched the monster fall back down into lake, creating numerous ripples as it heavily splashed down.

_"Why can't Hayate cut it when it's in water?" _Himeno asked.

"Water acts like a cushion. It's a shock absorber so when wind hits, all the intensity disappears. Hayate can't destroy it when its body is semi-submerged in water like that."

_"If I give you more power, can you beat it?"_

"I don't know...compared to everyone else's strength, I'm the weakest."

Himeno felt doubt and a strong sense of insecurity inside Hajime's soul. It reminded her of her own earlier on in the morning.

_"I preted with you instead of Hayate because I wanted to know how Hajime's power felt like. You're not weak. You're different. I'm sure everyone has their own specialty. You're not overpowering like Hayate, not gentle like Shin and not intense like Go. You're rather calm, easy-going. I don't feel any pressure when I'm with you._

"Himeno..."

_"Earlier on today, I was scared...worried...anxious...frustrated...and full of doubt. I didn't know what I was doing as the Pretear. I don't even know much about Haidhis. But I'm sure of myself now...because now I know that even you guys have worries and doubts. We're not so different after all."_ Himeno unpoured her feelings out to Hajime. _"That's right, I'll take everything one step at a time and become more confident in what I'm doing. It's going to be hard, but I don't want to give up."_

Hajime felt a controlled flow of spirit flow into his hands. His soul weapon slowly materialized.

_"Because...I'm not a quitter! I'm not going to give up being the Pretear because of a few nightmares! Being the Pretear was something I decided for myself! Not because I was forced into it!"_

Hajime stared in awe for a brief moment at his water flail. It had a new glow, a bright shine along its long length. It was a weapon of pounding, meant to give the effect of being slapped all over by ocean hurricanes. He could feel all the waters in the world in this flail. His power did not cut, burn or freeze; his power crushed. Hajime smiled at his newfound strength and knew he would never call himself weak ever again.

"That's right! There's no such thing as a weak Angel Knight!" Hajime cried out for himself. "If that ugly thing wants to drink water, then I'll give him plenty of it!" He lashed out his flail. "My water without form will crush anything with form. Drown in my blessings to you!"

Hayate saw the flail hit the head of the demon larvae for a split second before he shielded himself from the bursts of water rise up from all over. His wind protected him from an onslaught of tremulous waves that came from the centre of impact. Hayate flew higher upwards to avoid being swept away.

Hajime's chest heaved. He withdrew his weapon and surveyed what happened. The demon larvae was destroyed and he watched life return to the area. "We did it. We saved this place, Himeno. And it was all thanks to you."

Himeno let relief wash over her. She felt the calm waves become ravaging torrents when Hajime released his flail. _"I'm just glad it's over."_

"Bravo! Congratulations on defeating my little pet." It was the voice of the enemy.

Hayate quickly went to Hajime's side, when he saw the dark figure come up from the thickets of the forest. Hajime reared himself behind Hayate, trying to hide their Pretear's presence from the enemy.

"I know the little princess is with your soul, brave Water Knight." The cloaked figure hid his face underneath his hood. "I'm not after her...yet."

Hayate gritted his teeth. The odds didn't look so good for them. Himeno's spirit was probably well spent after beating the demon larvae and was in no condition to pret with him.

"Then what are you after?" Hayate yelled. He estimated the distance between them was around 40 meters, barely enough to make a good escape without being attacked.

"Call out your leader," commanded Haidhis. "Better yet. Have him meet me one on one."

"What are you? Crazy!" Hajime blurted out without thinking. "We're not going to fall for your trap."

"Tell him that I'll be waiting for him. He knows where I'll be."

"What are you talking about?" Hayate's suspicions rose. Had their leader met with the enemy without ever letting the team know about it?

"Yeah, why would -," Hajime's voice disappeared into thin air. Words couldn't escape his mouth.

"Silence fool. Pass my message onto the Knight of Light."

"And if we refuse?" Hayate sternly pressed on.

"Then your dearly beloved Plant Knight will die. I currently have him in my captivity. You wouldn't want that gentle soul to perish under my hand now...would you?" He laughed wickedly. "Tonight. If your leader meets me by tonight, I shall release your friend."

"There's no way we can believe the words of a demon!" Hayate answered. "You're full of lies."

"You have no choice. Your leader is the one who holds the truth about me."

"What-" Hayate's voice was silenced as well.

"And to the Pretear. I'm so glad you've gotten stronger. You'll need it to beat me. See you in your dreams." With that, he vanished along with his butterflies.

"That guy...he...took away my voice." Hajime started shaking. "Impossible...since when could Haidhis do that? And he's got Shin! What are we going to do, Hayate?"

Hayate balled his hands into tight fists. Anger surged through his body. "We...are going to talk to Kei. He's hiding something."

"You're gonna believe that demon?"

"It's not that. He has more interest in our leader than our Pretear. Something's not right with that."

"But...," the Water Knight protested.

"It's like he said. We don't have a choice right now. If Kei knows something that we don't then Shin's capture is Kei's fault."

Himeno unpreted herself from Hajime and grabbed onto him before falling down from midair. Hayate kept her aloft with his air. "I want to talk to Kei too! I want him to tell me more about being the Pretear. I also agree with Hayate that he's hiding something."

"Himeno?" Hayate looked at her. Her spirit didn't seem tired at all. Her eyes were brimming with determination.

"We have to remove all doubts from our minds or we won't be able to beat Haidhis. I'm sure talking to Kei will help. We need to get rid of uncertainty...or we won't be able to trust each other!" Himeno argued, "I won't let that cloaked guy scare me!"

Hayate looked at Hajime for a response. Blessed Spring gave a slight nod of affirmation.

"Alright, I'll take Himeno to the sub-heavens. You go get Kei and meet us my home," Hayate instructed. He extended his hand to Himeno. "Come on, we're gonna settle all this confusion so we can fight properly."

Himeno took his hand without hesitation, "Let's go."

* * *

Shin opened his eyes to darkness. "Where am I? What happened?" _I...heard a nostalgic melody..._

"Welcome to my lair, Knight of Plants." The voice was sinister and cruel.

Shin felt the unsettling presence come towards him. His body was bound by fear.

"There's no need to be afraid. I have no intention of hurting you." The voice turned sweet and gentle.

_That voice...it can't be...it's just not possible._ "Who are you?" Shin asked, his voice trembling.

"I guess it's been a long time. Have you forgotten me already, Shin?" The words came out in a melody.

Shin's heart choked with joy upon hearing his voice once again; the voice that brought comfort to so many in heaven, the voice that filled heaven with beautiful sounds. Tears swelled up in his eyes. "Sasame...is it really you?"

"I knew you'd remember me."

* * *

Author's Notes: This chappie sure gets the ball rolling for the rest of the story. My mind is blank now that I've finished writing it. If anyone has questions regarding this chapt, I'll answer them in upcoming Chapter 6: The Forgotten Fairytale From the Past.


	6. A Forgotten Fairytale From The Past

**Chapter 6: A Forgotten Fairytale From the Past**

KeyQuis: Tis' a miracle that this chapt came out. I had so much trouble with a fight scene that I scrapped it before I wrecked my brains out some more. So many things in life have happened since I last released any major works. Life has been hectic ever since I got myself into cosplay. Ugh, I apologize for this **very **delayed released. I had it lying around for ages before finishing it off. Since it was an important chapter (ie. Planting seeds for future growth), I had to go through it a lot of times and it's still not perfect…but I won't commit anymore time on it.

Please enjoy.

* * *

"Sasame? How…," Shin frantically tried to reach out to the figure from the past, but his body was bound to the darkness. "Sasame!"

"Are you surprised? That I'm still alive?" The beautiful voice mocked.

Shin briefly struggled to regain control of his body and forced his wings to light up the area around him. On his knees, he peered around his surroundings, only to see nothing but darkness at the end of his wing tips. He turned focus back on the cloaked figure and could only make a face of despair and sorrow. "Sasame…you're…"

"You shouldn't make that face, Shin. I don't plan on killing you." Sasame smirked as he drained one of his butterflies of its spirit.

"You're…Haidhis, but how?" Shin demanded, with tears in his eyes. "How? I don't get it. You were killed in the last battle, right?"

"We did defeat Haidhis in the last battle. But then I became Haidhis shortly after his defeat. The one you sealed was me."

"How did you become Haidhis? There was no darkness in your heart! You were such a pure angel! Admired by everyone! Well-respected in all ranks! There's no way you could have become Haidhis!"

"No way? Shin, you should know that everyone has some darkness in his or her heart. Even a little bit is enough…a little bit can be amplified into something like this." A scowl appeared on his pale face. "Kei. It's all Kei's fault. And Hayate's too. I will make them suffer for what they did to Takako." His voice was cruel once more.

"Takako? What's this got to do with Takako?" Shin asked, while starring into the angelic features of a demon's face. The rich lavender eyes once full of joy were laced with hatred and the elegant silver hair once full of light were tinted with sorrow. "What happened, Sasame?" Shin pleaded for an explanation. "What did Kei and Hayate do?"

"Kei must have known it along," Sasame spat his former leader's name like venom in his mouth, "He kept it from the rest of us…the full extent of the Pretear's powers. I'm going to destroy him first, then the rest of Leafeania."

"No, Sasame…this isn't like you. You're just being overtaken by the darkness. You aren't really like this." Shin sobbed helplessly. "You're kind, gentle – ."

"I was kind and gentle. That never did anything for me though. I only ended up hurt in the end. I was always hiding my true emotions from the rest of you." Sasame walked up close to Shin and harshly grabbed a fistful of his long golden hair. "I deceived you all. I wanted nothing more than to quit being an angel knight and live the life of a human. I wanted what Zephyrei had. I wanted to experience the short-lived joy he had. Anything's better than an eternity with the likes of you, burdened by the need to always protect the land. Always the same…same life, the same boring life without knowing the love of another. Being Benign Perfect Harmony was nothing but a title." He pulled his fist down, yanking Shin's face forward, before releasing the golden locks from his hand. "Pathetic. Why don't you fight back?"

"I can't fight you…" Shin fell forward on his hands, fists clenched together. "I can't fight my brother. I can't…" Tears fell from his eyes, landing on nothing.

"I'm Haidhis. You don't care if I destroy Leafeania?" Sasame only wanted to bully the Plant Knight some more. "What kind of Angel Knight are you? A weakling bound by your hopeless emotion. I'll hurt you, you know."

"I can't help it, but to think that you're hurting inside. You must be in pain. You really don't want to be doing this, do you?" Shin sobbed under his breath. "Because you're Sasame.

"Shut up. You don't know a damn thing, fool. I'll show you what pain is when I destroy Kei. I'll bury this land in hopelessness, in despair, in death. I'll show you what it's like when your soul becomes overtaken by a girl's broken heart. I'll show you Takako's pain and suffering."

"Sasame?" Shin looked up at the former Angel Knight. "You can't mean that."

"I do."

Sasame wrapped one hand around Shin's neck. Shin flinched at the icy touch and felt his spirit slowly being drained out. Shin was too saddened to resist and fight back as Haidhis drained enough of his spirit to cause him to collapse.

"You were always too much of a softie. The gentlest of us all. I'm the enemy and you don't even so much speak a hateful comment to me? Don't be a fool, Shin. Hate me, loathe me. Despise what I've become."

"Just what happened that day?… How did you become Haidhis?" What did you mean by a girl's broken heart?" Shin's voice was barely audible. His wings glowed softly, lighting just his body and Sasame's.

"What happened? It was so simple. I just kissed Takako, hoping to ease her heart broken caused by Hayate. That's all. I tasted all her hatred, sorrow, despair and anguish of having her love rejected," he replied with a smile on his face.

* * *

Himeno felt fear overtake her heart. Her eyes adverted from Hayate's expression that was so consumed in silent anger. She had been brought to the sub-heavens, a place existing between heaven and Leafeania, where Hayate's house was. His home resembled like a small family cottage fit for a simple life, something out of a children's storybook. Even though it was overtaken with wild ivy vines along the exterior, Himeno bet that it use to be neat and proper with all the right flower arrangements. She could imagine many red roses surrounding the small house. She remembered how Hayate mentioned his mother's love for flowers, especially the red rose, the symbol of love. Hayate had never said anything about his father though.

_Why am I scared? What am I scared of?_ Himeno didn't know what to say to the stoic knight, who merely sat on the few steps leading to the front porch. She stood a good distance away, pretending to be preoccupied looking at her surroundings. _Why do I get the uneasy feeling that everything's going to change when we talk to Kei? I can't be afraid! I mustn't be scared of the truth. I need to be brave…be strong…in order to fight and beat Haidhis._

"Himeno."

Himeno jumped up slightly at the call of her name. "Yessss?"

"You don't have to pretend. I know you're nervous. The wind around you is trembling with uncertainty," Hayate spoke, his voice unwavering with a concealed bitterness.

"Hayate…" Himeno looked at him worriedly. "I'm… never mind." She looked away not wanting him to see the fear in her eyes. "I'm…okay."

"No, you're not! If you're scared of being the Pretear, then just say so," Hayate said, almost annoyed at her.

"Well, you're not calm either! Anyone can see the anger that surrounds you," Himeno fired right back him before turning around and marching furiously up to him. "You're the one making me worried." Without thinking, she latched the collar of his uniform. "You…you…ah forget it." Himeno quickly released her hold. "Just forget it. I don't want to fight with you."

_I'm making her worried? What did I do?_ Hayate straightened his collar. "Are you worried about me?"

Himeno took a seat next to him on the staircase. "I just get this uneasy feeling that there's something different about you compared to the rest of the knights. You guys are comrades, but it feels like there's a huge gap of some sort. I can't quite figure it out. I don't know." Himeno hugged her knees. "Like why is Hayate's house in the sub-heavens. Why is Hayate angry with Kei? And why is Kei keeping a secret from his teammates? I have so many questions and doubts in my mind. It's obvious to see that you're distressed, Hayate. And it's natural for friends to worry about each other. I'm your friend, aren't I? I'm worried about Shin too…and Go… I'm…"

"That's enough." Hayate unconsciously pat her head. "You don't have to worry about us."

The word 'friend' had thrown him off guard. She had really thought of them as friends. He could only see her as the Pretear and himself as a knight. To be a friend was a burden for knights because their time with the Pretear was only for a short time. When the enemy was defeated, any bit of friendship would end. Furthermore, in order to keep the existence of the Angel Knights a secret from the rest of the world, the whole experience would be nothing more than a mere dream to the Pretear. Shortly after the defeat of Haidhis, she would fall into a deep slumber and awake to a normal life the next day. It made parting simpler, easier, and less guilty. Hayate would not lead her on to thinking the worse.

"We should be the ones worrying about you. You're the Pretear after all…and you're human."

Himeno felt slightly insulted at his comment. "Hey, just because I'm human doesn't mean I'm weak. You know I can beat you in a fist fight."

Hayate chuckled lightly, amused at her typical hot-headedness. "I never said you were weak. I guess what I mean is…the value of a human life is different from an angel's life. Even if we look the same, we're … different." _We're not meant to be together…_

Himeno furrowed her eyebrows. "I really can't see what's different about us. I mean, we feel pain, get scared, have worries," Himeno cast a small smile at Hayate, "…and we have people important to us."

"I guess you're right about that."

"I am right about that." Himeno punched him playfully in the arm and Hayate returned the same gesture towards her.

The short moment of a smile faded as the others arrived. Kei's ethereal light notified them of his presence. Mannen and Hajime stood behind their leader, their expression containing an unreadable sorrow or anger. Himeno took in a deep breath as she went to approach Kei. She tossed aside uncertainty and bluntly demanded answers from the Light Knight.

"You are going to tell us everything about what's between you and Haidhis. And if you don't, I'll beat it out of you." Himeno vehemently stood with both arms crossed about her chest.

All but one knight snorted out a small laugh at her bold statement. Kei brushed her speech aside and merely walked up to Himeno to respond.

"Very well. Since the circumstances have come to this, I've no choice but to reveal the truth to you. After you listen, you will realize why I've kept it to myself." Kei's eloquent reply was void of warmth, showing his loneliness and burden of being the leader. "I had hoped that the situation would never reach to this."

"Why?" Himeno demanded.

"Because I'm afraid of opening up the past to the one who has the present. You may become afraid of what lies ahead of you in the future."

"And what about the rest of us? Shin and Go?" Hayate fiercely retorted. "What more fear is there other than losing another brother? You're a terrible leader."

"You know, I wouldn't mind beating on you either. There aren't suppose to be secrets between Angel Knights. We're family, which means we share the load," Mannen answered, "…you incredibly selfish selfish person…"

"Shall we proceed then?" Kei asked, his tone unwavering in authority. "When we get there…everything will be made known."

"Where? Can't you just tell us here?" Hayate impatiently spoke out.

"Yeah…where are we going, Kei? Himeno pressed on.

Kei's ethereal glow darkened. "To a castle…where a princess remains in an eternal slumber of darkness."

Himeno saw Hajime's and Mannen's eyes widened in disbelief. She heard a thud to the ground behind her. She turned around and found Hayate on his knees, his hands grasping the dirt beneath him; he looked like he was shaken to the core upon Kei's announcement.

"No…how can she still be alive? You're not talking about Takako, are you?" Hayate yelled out loud. "How…"

"Who's Takako," Himeno asked shakily, her gut instinct telling her that the answer was obvious.

"The one before you, our former Pretear."

* * *

It was a warm spring day before noon. Masses of roses bloomed around the little wooden cottage. A mother sat on the soft grass, waiting for her son to return from a morning adventure.

"Look mother, I gathered all these berries from the forests." Hayate ran up to his mother, presenting her a small basket of assorted blackberries and wild berries. "The birds showed me which bushes were the sweetest." He grinned happily at his mother, hoping for a pat on the head for a job well done.

"And there you go again, running off and talking with the birds. Hayate, sweety, you can't keep doing that. You're a special child, but you can't let others know that." His mother embraced him in a hug. "You are my unique little boy."

"Mother, there are no others around us. It's just me, you and father. Just the three of us living here."

"When you grow older, we'll move to a place where there are others, where there's more people."

"But I keep telling you. I don't want to move. I like living here. I want to always be with you and father," Hayate protested. "I don't care about meeting other people."

"Don't speak such nonsense, Hayate," a burly voice spoke out from behind them.

"Father!" Hayate hurried over to his father's side with his childish legs and he was hoisted up on his father's shoulder.

"Dear, must you always sneak up on your loved ones?" His wife looked at him with a smile.

"You know how much I enjoy surprising the two of you." Zephyrei glanced at his son. "You haven't been worrying your mother, have you Hayate? Running off in your little adventures." He carried his son on his shoulder while heading towards his wife.

"Nope. Mother knows I can take care of myself," Hayate beamed a bright smile, "I'm a strong boy."

"Sure you are." Zephyrei lowered his son off his shoulder and kneeled down on the ground to greet his wife with a chaste kiss on her cheeks. "Lamune, I found a great little area in Leafeania for where we can build our new home. We can get started as soon as I get things settled with Kei."

"I don't want to move!" Hayate strongly protested. "I like it here. Mom loves her roses and I like all the birds that play with me."

"Hayate, there'll be plenty more roses and birds to where we're moving. Leafeania is not a bad place. And there'll be plenty of human children to play with instead. Wouldn't you rather play with people than with birds?" Zephyrei coaxed his son with a gentle pat on the head. "Plus your mom really wants to live on Leafeania…," he trailed off, implying to Hayate that it would make his mother really happy if he just agreed to moving.

"Why do you really want to live on Leafeania, mother?" Hayate pleaded for an answer.

"Because it'll be a better place for you to grow up and become a very strong young man, Hayate." Lamune reached out for her son's hand and held it. "Because on Leafeania, you'll find what it is you want to hold in your hand. You'll never become stronger just living here all alone by yourself."

"But I'm not alone. I have you and father here. I'll never be alone," Hayate defended, adamant about his position.

"Son, your mother and I will never be alone because we share each other's soul. But you, you're still young and until you are able to share your soul with another, you'll always be alone." Zephyrei solemnly replied. "Right now, your soul is alone."

"I don't get it, why do I have to share my soul with someone?" Hayate bitterly argued.

Lamune pulled her son into her arms and gently whispered into his right ear, "Because you'll learn the kind of love that makes you the strongest person you can be."

* * *

"Geez it's cold here, Kei!" Mannen roughly cried out. "I wish Go were here. He'd make the air warmer for us. I know I'm the Knight of Ice, but this is ridiculous. My body feels like it's frozen."

"Mannen's right. It is really cold, here." Hajime rubbed his hands together, creating short-lived warmth between his palms and fingers.

"That's because this place has no spirit giving it even the slightest warmth of life. There is no living creature here. Even the trees are dead." Kei answered curtly.

"This is the same place…," Himeno mouthed out slowly. "The same place where I met Haidhis in my dream." She swallowed her saliva, unable to continue her speech.

Himeno thought she was walking through her nightmare. It was the same forest, the same grounds, the same sky above the land and the same castle that stood behind the gate of briars and thorns. The other knights, all except for Kei, had been startled to hear that Haidhis had shown this very place to Himeno in her dreams. The air was void of warmth and multitudes of shadows seemed to overlap each other. It was as if the castle grounds had been starved of light and darkness overtook it.

Negative thoughts overflowed in Himeno's mind. She had been consumed by the fear of knowing the fate of the previous Pretear. Truthfully, she didn't want to continue any further beyond the gates that stood in front of her. Logically, she knew she needed to know the tragedy of her predecessor. She had brushed off her trembling legs as being cold from the air. She said that her balled-up fists were from being determined and not from being afraid. Himeno did her best to keep up a strong stature.

"We're going to fly over the gate, no sense in cutting through the thicket," Kei announced. "Just follow my lead when navigating to her chamber."

Himeno was released from her thoughts when she felt a warm hand hold her own. She blinked a few times and snapped herself out of it. "Hayate?"

"Don't worry, just stay strong. We're going to get everything sorted out, right?" Hayate reassured her and gently squeezed her hand. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Himeno."

Himeno understood his words, but she could feel his arm tremble a bit while gripping onto her hand. She felt some of his spirit flow into her, and it tingled her soul with anxiety. He too was putting up a front to hide his fear.

Kei led them to the side of the castle, giving them view of the many doors and windows that were trapped in a sea of briars and thickets of thorns. Himeno noticed the faded stained-glass windows with images of angels. They looked like fallen angels with broken wings in this land covered in darkness. The only light that shone in the forsaken place was from Kei's ethereal body. They navigated to a portion of the castle that had not been overrun with the dead overgrowth. The opening was a broken wall.

"When Haidhis attacked here, he blew up this part to escape." Kei's voice quivered. The time drew nearer for the unveiling of truth.

"Escape? Don't you mean enter?" Mannen promptly questioned. "How else did he get into the castle and get Takako?" He surveyed the rubble lying around the open hole, and they lay on the exterior of the castle. The hole had definitely been made from the inside. He scratched his head in slight confusion. "Are you trying to say that after we defeated Haidhis, he somehow managed to plant himself into one of her servants? That just isn't possible!"

"Let's just keep proceeding to her room and I will tell you of the story of a princess who loved everyone, and the one knight who rejected her truest love." Kei motioned one hand towards the stairs. His light dimmed down to a sorrowful glow.

Upon Kei's words, Himeno instantly darted her eyes towards Hayate. Their hands were no longer together. Hayate had removed his hand only to ball it up into a fist. His head hung low, his bangs shadowed the expression on his face and Himeno could sense strong winds of guilt emerge from his body. He was the one knight that Kei was referring to.

"Whoa, just a sec there, Kei? Mannen intervened before Himeno could ask any questions. "You can't just point a finger at Hayate. He –,"

Hayate interjected with a harsh voice, raising it louder than normal. "It was my fault, Mannen. Kei's right about the whole thing. It's all my fault!"

"You're wrong, Hayate." Kei murmured softly. "I'm the one you all should blame. I could have stopped the disaster, but … I had hoped for too much." He bit his lips, recalling the past ever so vividly in his mind. Tears pooled in his eyes and he let them slide down his cheek. They felt like shards of glass cutting against his skin. "I should have stopped Takako's disaster, but I was too late to even try."

"Takako's disaster?" Mannen didn't quite get what he meant. "And what did you hope for?"

Hayate didn't even know what to say about Kei's confession. It didn't make any sense how Kei could have done anything to stop Haidhis from consuming Takako and Sasame. _It was my fault for just running away from Takako's plea for my love. If I hadn't left her alone, Haidhis would have never gotten to her…but we sealed him didn't we? Was another one born already? _ His mind was in a storm of uncertainty and confusion. Hayate willed himself to lift his head up and look at his leader. Kei's tears were genuine with guilt and remorse.

Himeno took in a small breath and walked towards the small angel who was crying. She did the one thing she thought would comfort him. Himeno hugged Kei softly, and whispered words of encouragement. The same words her mother had spoken to her when she couldn't stop crying. _I never knew angel knights could have bad memories. I never knew they could suffer…just like humans…cry just like the rest of us…make mistakes just like everyone else._ "It'll be okay, we'll get through this together." _It's so much easier to deal with pain when there's someone else willing to share the pain. Mother, you're always watching over me, right? Up there in heaven…_

Kei was ashamed at his unsightly behaviour. He had suppressed all those thoughts and feelings of the past, buried them all in the dark corners of his mind. The sight of the castle ruins, the fear of revealing the truth about the past, the pain of seeing Hayate blame himself – they all cast light on his darkness. And Himeno hugged him in hopes of soothing his pain. Her gentle human words nudged in courage to his breaking spirit. Kei felt his trembling body calm down with her warmth encompassing him. For a brief moment, he felt like a child in the arms of his mother – a feeling no angel ever truly experienced. _Thank you, Himeno._

"Takako…I mean, the Pretear shares her whole self when preting with a knight." Kei removed himself from the arms of his princess. "The Pretears we seek and find are maidens of purest hearts and truest love. They are our source of power against Haidhis." Kei messily wiped his teary face with his sleeve. "They—"

"We know that already, Kei!" Mannen burst out in frustration. "Just get to the point already!"

"They…when their hearts are full of light and goodness, our powers are magnified beyond comprehension." Kei grit his teeth tightly, almost not wanting to continue on. "But when their hearts are filled with darkness and malice, our powers become corrupted beyond return."

Hajime quivered. Goosebumps popped up all over his skin. "It can't be…" He had heard rumous about it before from retired angel knights when he was a kid. "Takako…she…Sasame…"

Mannen caught on to Hajime's stutter. "No way, you can't be serious. Takako was the purest in all of Pretear history! There's just no way she could have corrupted him."

"All it took was a broken heart. Having her truest love rejected by Hayate turned her into the greatest threat to all angel knights." Kei no longer wore a saddened expression. His eyes were serious. "And I warned her against having affection for an Angel Knight. I warned her about Angel Knights not being allowed to return affection. I warned her about her powers going to the dark side, and it didn't stop her."

"Why did she go ahead and do it anyways?" Himeno hastily blurted out without thinking. "If she knew what was going to happen, then why did she do it? That's so stupid! Why did she risk breaking her heart? _She should have been scared of rejection. She knew so why? Why?_ She felt anger towards the previous Pretear. "She's so selfish. She knew it was dangerous and still went ahead to confess. That's so selfish and stupid." _She should have just … just…given up. Given up on…Hayate… _That thought pierced a sad arrow to her heart. _She could've given up on Hayate. _Himeno adverted quiet eyes to the Wind Knight, who was staring at her with a disappointed look.

"Those were harsh words, Himeno. Everyone makes mistakes." Hayate bit his lower lips. "And you want to know why? It's because there was a chance for an Angel Knight to return affection. It happened before and Takako knew it. She risked breaking her heart hoping that I would return her affection. And I might have too…if…" He drifted off the words he could not bear to speak in front of Himeno.

Sensing Hayate's unease, Kei completed the missing words. "If you loved her, but you didn't. As perfect and desired of a princess Takako was in her kingdom, you simply did not love her."

Himeno felt her body tremble. It was not from fear, but from uncertainty. She wanted to know more about the past, more about Takako and more about Hayate. "What do you mean by _happened before_?"

"Oh, you mean Hayate never told you, Himeno?" Mannen raised his head. "You never told Himeno about your parents?" he directed towards Hayate.

"His parents? I only know about his mom."

"My mother…my father…my parents…they were…," Hayate hadn't wanted to reveal it to Himeno about the nature of his origin. "My mother was a Pretear and my father was the previous Angel Knight of Wind." He took a seat on a broken pillar amongst the castle rubble. "My father was one of the few Angel Knights in history to have returned a Pretear's love." _As much as I like Himeno…and being near her, I can't follow in my father's footsteps. Attending the ball should be the most human thing I can ever do. I can't neglect my duties for love. _ "I didn't want to be like my father, so I chose not to love Takako even if I could." Hayate could still recall the day Takako confessed to him and how he had to reject her. Her words remained as a haunting memory.

Before Himeno could reply, Kei commanded, "We must move on forward to her resting place. Himeno needs to see for herself Takako's current state. We can finish talking about the past when we get there."

* * *

"We did it! We beat him!" Mannen jumped for joy into the air. "Yes! I knew you could do it, Takako. Your Pretear powers are too awesome!" He pranced around the grassy field in acrobats.

"You are always easily excited, Mannen. Unfitting for a veteran knight," Kei commented. "But your enthusiasm is always welcomed."

"Ah geez, if you don't wear a smile on that face of yours, you're gonna get wrinkles and frowns for the rest of your angel days," Mannen retorted. "You gotta show that you're happy! It's another victory for us!"

"And a victory calls for a celebration. And we also need to make preparations before going home too." Shin turned to Hajime and Go. "Are the two of you alright? Haidhis didn't hurt you too badly did he?"

"Nope, but next time, you and Kei better play bait and distraction." Hajime stretched out his arms, popping out a few kinks in his muscles. "Dodging all the time is hard work."

"I second that. I'm starved." Go smiled cheekily. "I could really go for a celebration feast right now."

"Before we get feasting, we've got to let our little princess rest. She's already fast asleep after our unpret." Sasame coddled the fair dark haired maiden in his arms, brushing away a few stray strands of hair off her face. "We better get her back to her castle soon or else her father and mother will worry."

"She actually had the power to bring out the Arbalest of Hallelujah. Nothing like firing songs at Haidhis to subdue him. Defeated by the power of sound…that's gotta hurt lots." Mannen grinned at Sasame. "Nothing less from our Perfect Harmony."

Sasame merely smiled. "You're mistaken, Mannen. It was the power of music filled with love. Love amplifies our powers the best. More importantly…" His eyes pointed to the remaining angel knight whose eyes were fixated on the sealed beast. "Someone should check if he's alright. He took quick a few hits acting as our shield. I wouldn't have been able to shoot any of arrows if he hadn't taken my hits."

"Oi, Hayate! You gonna celebrate on your own or join us?" Mannen hollered out to the Wind Knight. "And you better get your wounds checked out too, don't wanna make Takako worry over a few scratches on you!"

Hayate remained unwavering. _I agreed to hunt this thing out of vengeance and hatred. I will never forgive any monster who takes the lives of people. May you spend the rest of eternity sealed like this. The likes of you and your demon brethren deserve eternal darkness and death. _He felt a small tear trickle down his cheek. _How many will I have to hunt in order to stop the pain of losing mother and father?_

Kei walked over to Hayate and patted him on the shoulder. "This is the life your father lived before loving your mother. I hope you will continue to fulfill your duty as Zephyrei's only son and live on for their sakes."

"I still have nothing…my heart still hurts from missing my parents…and my soul is still tormented with guilt," Hayate said quietly. "It's over, but there's no relief…I still feel empty."

"Either way, the time for us to bid farewell to our princess draws near. I trust you are prepared for the parting, Eternal Motion," Kei answered. "Perhaps you will find release from your pains elsewhere, other than the battlefield."

"But I cannot leave the battlefield, can I?"

"That is for you to decide," Kei paused, "But you know the outcomes of your choices, so decide wisely."

"I have taken over my father's position. I will not abandon it like he did," Hayate firmly answered. "Even if I am never released from my sorrow."

"Very well. I accept your profession." Kei prayed in his heart for the young knight to find peace within his soul. "I will take the sealed creature to its resting place. You will join the others in escorting Takako back to her palace."

"Okay." Hayate walked off in the direction of the others, obeying Kei's command.

* * *

Himeno first noticed the finely embroidered upholstery and curtains. She guessed it was probably made from the best velvets and silks just looking at their shine. The large dresser and mirror best hinted that the owner of the room was female, but it was the bed that showed that the room belonged to a princess. The long canopy bed drapes hid the face of the former Pretear. Himeno held her breath as Kei gently pulled the drapes away to the side. Himeno looked at the sleeping princess. Takako had beautiful feminine features. Her skin glowed a pale white just like snow, her hair shone the darkest black of night and her lips blushed a crimson red like blood. She had long eyelashes, a petit nose, porcelain smooth cheeks and delicately small hands – features desired by all females. Takako was the perfect embodiment of a princess. Himeno felt like a common peasant girl standing next to her like this.

"I never knew about this…Takako was kept here all this time?" Hayate sounded bitter and angry.

"I had to keep her a secret, Hayate. Her soulless form is my fault to bear. I did not want her to perish so I gave her a part of my soul to keep her alive, hence the reason for me taking up the body of a child. I've been feeding her my light since that day, hoping that we'd be able to restore her soul. This whole castle is asleep under my light. I've been taken responsibility for that day, Hayate. You shouldn't blame yourself Hayate because I should've stopped her." Kei looked at Hayate with eyes of sorrow.

"But I was the one who broke her heart! If I had kept my distance, then none of this would've happened!" Hayate looked at Takako, his eyes begging for forgiveness.

"Yo! Enough of this blaming going around! I don't care who's at fault. I want to know what happened!" Mannen yelled out in frustration. "Laying the blame like this is so childish. Enough of this self-pity and regret. We gotta move forward and beat Haidhis. Shin's life is at stake so I want this arguing to stop **now**!"

"Mannen's right! We're not getting anywhere with all this blaming." Hajime stomped his foot down and made a loud thomp to get the attention of the two arguing knights. It also stopped their petty squabbling.

Himeno decided to ask questions of her own. "If Takako knew about the dangers of having a broken heart and her heart turning to darkess…then why did she give in to it? She couldn't have been so selfish to hurt other people…"

The room suddenly grew quiet.

"It's not about selfishness. It's about pain." Hayate responded first. "I said things that I can't take back. I didn't reject her softly. I spoke some pretty harsh words just to get her to erase her affections for me. In order to get her to forget about me, I decided to make her lose her affection for me."

"But you didn't mean any of those words, did you? You just said them without thinking, right?" Himeno couldn't imagine Hayate being deliberately cruel to such an extent. Sure, their first meeting was rather violent, but they ended up being friends. "Doing such a thing...you only hurt yourself. You never meant to hurt her, right? You wouldn't hurt a girl, Hayate. I know you wouldn't."

"What do you know about me?" Hayate flared up in a temper. "Don't go saying things when you don't know anything! What's done is done. Whether I did or didn't mean to hurt her doesn't change anything."

"Don't yell at Himeno! She was just trying to defend you." Mannen stepped in front of Himeno to shield her from Hayate's anger. "God, I wish you would just stop being a jerk and just be honest with yourself. Kei already said that you aren't fully to blame."

"Yeah!" Hajime agreed with Mannen. "The past is the past. All we can do now is try to fix up the present so that we can have a future. If we keep fighting amongst ourselves, we're going to lose to Haidhis for sure."

"The past is something we must overcome first in order to fix the present, Hajime." Kei spoke out. "Isn't that why we're here?"

* * *

Takako remembered their first meeting. She was reading a book in her parent's tea garden. It was just another typical day in the kingdom, quiet and peaceful. She felt the tree leaves rustle and a small breeze pass her by. A small group of sparrows landed around her and chirped. She smiled as she gently pet the sparrow perched on her book.

"I'm sorry, I didn't bring any snacks out today for you and your friends. I wasn't expecting your delightful company. If you'll wait, I'll go in and find some seeds. Okay?"

Without warning, the sparrows flew off. Takako had closed her eyes from the brief surprise and when she opened them, she found the sparrows perched on a stranger. The stranger was a young man and it was his blue eyes that captivated her attention. They brimmed with a regal authority and his very presence seemed ethereal. Somehow she knew that he wasn't a bad guy because the sparrows accepted him. He approached her slowly.

"My name is Hayate and I'm an angel from heaven." Hayate unleashed his wings to prove himself to her. "And you are the Pretear I was sent to find.

"Pre…tear?"

"Yes, my fellow angels require your assistance in defeating a great evil that is planning to befall on the lands of Leafania."

"But I'm just a normal girl. How can I help angels?" Takako stood up, unafraid of him. "What can I do?"

"We need to borrow the hidden strength lying within your pure soul."

"My soul?" Takako was puzzled.

It was then that the rest of the Angel Knights showed up and Kei explained the details of the situation. She accepted her fate so readily because she would not be the kind of princess to watch her people suffer at the hands of demons. Her parents had raised her to be the wisest and kindest ruler they could. Takako gave it her all when battling and never complained at anything. Eventually, she told her parents about it when they had caught her skipping some schooling lessons. And it was Hayate that reassured them that her safe return would be of utmost priority. He vowed to her parents that he would protect her against all danger and harm. And he fulfilled his vow completely. Takako never received a single injury. She grew reliant on Hayate as her devoted knight. And if he was willing, be hers forever. Takako would ask him after the final battle to remain by her side for the rest of her life, sharing in the delights of her kingdom. The fateful day finally arrived.

* * *

Takako had invited him into the inner sanctuary. It was a garden within the castle walls meant for special occasions and privileged guests. Hayate knew what was going to happen and he was anxious to get the parting over with.

_Just let her say the words and tell her that you cannot accept her affection. Make it quick and simple. _

She was leading him down an aisle, towards an altar. Hayate stopped in his tracks when he saw what she was trying to set up.

"Takako…I can't go on any further with you." He hoped those words would be enough.

Takako turned around to face him. He could make out the small pools of tears about to spill from her eyes.

"Hayate, I love you and I don't want it to end just because Haidhis is defeated. I don't want us to separate." Takako threw herself at Hayate, wrapping her arms around him. "I really want you to stay by my side."

"I'm sorry, Takako. I don't feel the same way. I…don't love you." Hayate tried to gently pry her off him. "Please, Takako. Let me go."

"No! That's a lie. You're always protecting me beyond your duty because you care about me right? Didn't you want the same thing when you told me about your parents?" Takako tightened her hold on Hayate. "Wasn't it because you wanted to be with me?"

"I told you about my parents because I wanted you to understand that the reason why I fight is for revenge. I'm sorry if you took it the wrong way." Hayate used his wind to push Takako away. "I know you're not going to forgive me just because I say I'm sorry, but…"

"Was it all a lie? Being nice to me, and talking about protecting me…was it all because I'm the Pretear?"

"I'm grateful to you, Takako. Without you, we wouldn't have been able to –."

"Don't **say** things like that! Are you trying to tell me that once you don't need me anymore, you'll just **leave** me?" Takako wept as she became hysterical. "I've been fighting all this time for **you**!"

"Takako! Stop this. I can't love you." Hayate grew fearful of the situation.

"Is it because of Kei? He told me to not love you, but I can't just deny my feelings." Takako tried to approach Hayate once more. "Hayate, I love you. I really do. I can't help it."

"It's got nothing to do with Kei. I never once loved you, nor have I tried. I cared, but it's only because you were the Pretear." Hayate kept his voice flat and serious. "I just can't love you, please understand that."

"If you're grateful, then love me back!" Takako pleaded. She slumped in the aisle and looked at him with desperate eyes, begging for him to return her love.

"Takako…I'm sorry." Hayate took a few steps back and watched Takako's eyes widen in despair. "It's not like I hate you or anything. It's just, you're the Pretear…please understand that it is our duty. We're not suppose to love humans," he added softly.

There was a moment of silence and quiet sobbing. To Hayate, it seemed as if she calmed down a bit.

"You don't have to love me." Takako slowly stood up on her own. "But what if I ask you to just stay with me? I don't want to say good-bye, Hayate."

"I can't stay with you. Your love is just an illusion. It must be out of pity since I was once human. You can't possibly really love me. I don't want your sympathy." Hayate harshly answered, giving her a cold stare. "Besides, you deserve someone better than me. I'm not worthy to be loved by you. A princess deserves a prince, not a knight." His harsh tone softened. "Your happiness cannot come from me." He turned his back towards her and started to walk away.

Her heart writhed in pain and confusion, and deeply wounded that Hayate called her love an illusion. She gave it her all during their battles against Haidhis and his minions. She endured all her fears and moments of weakness because she wanted to be by his side.

"My love isn't an illusion. I really do love you. I really want to be by your side. I only want you!"

Hayate stopped for a few seconds, shook his head in rejection and headed out the garden's door. He never looked back to take a final glimpse at the broken princess.

* * *

"Her heart was consumed in a darkness I never imagined was possible. My precious Takako…tainted with a hatred and sorrow that you'll never begin to fathom." Sasame's voice was bitter with misery. "If Hayate had not become an Angel Knight, she would have never suffered such a fate. His existence should have never come to be."

"You can't possibly mean that, Sasame," Shin pleaded. "For an angel to condemn anyone's existence is too cruel. We were all created for a purpose."

"Shut up. People who cause pain and suffering to others don't deserve to exist. Their blindness to their own selfishness and greed is why there's never any true peace in the world. The only thing Hayate cared about was defeating Haidhis to avenge his parents' death. He didn't care about hurting Takako's honest feelings."

"You're wrong, Sasame! Hayate did care!" Shin defended, "He just didn't want history to repeat itself after what happened to his parents."

Sasame let out a malicious laugh, amused by Shin's theory. "Didn't want history to repeat itself? He was the one who led her into believing it could come true. Hayate was a fool into thinking that Takako wouldn't be attracted to him."

"Hayate tried his best to ignore his humanity!"

"His best means nothing. Look at where we stand now. It's his fault."

"Still…Hayate is suffering from his guilt for what happened all those years ago."

"He should be suffering and I will return ten-fold the suffering he gave to her."

"Can't you forgive him?"

"Something like that is meaningless to me. He needs Takako to forgive him…and her heart says never. The one I love will have her revenge."

"One I love…?"

"Yes, I loved Takako. I still love her. She's inside me though. I need more power to restore her soul before I can release it. I will need to take your Pretear's life, Shin. Unless all you Angel Knights will offer yourselves in exchange." Sasame smirked as he wrapped his pale hands around Shin's neck.

Shin felt faint from being a captive of darkness. His existence was slowly being absorbed into Sasame's power. He doubted that he would ever escape and only foresaw a fate worse than death. He was too weak to even fight back. Was there even a way to stall enough time for his friends to find him? Despair slowly overtook his body and he felt himself slip into a slumber of hopelessness.

* * *

"After I left, I never knew what happened afterwards. I don't even know how Sasame got corrupted…" Hayate hung his head. "I…"

"You don't have to say anymore, Hayate. Himeno has heard all that she needs to." Kei looked over at the current Pretear. "I can't guarantee that you won't end up like Takako. A girl's heart is indeed a fragile thing. If you don't want to lose your soul, then you should give up your first kiss to a human and quit being the Pretear."

"You're saying that I should just quit?" Himeno was flabbergasted and felt insulted. "Sure, I'm scared and worried. But I just learned that I need to be more careful. I won't quit being the Pretear and I won't end up like Takako. I'll never be like her. _I won't fall in like her. _

"Yes you will, I guarantee it."

It came from an unknown voice in the room. The intruder came in undetected by them all. All heads turned toward the window ledge. The dark cloak overflowed onto the floor, staining the princess's room with malice. Haidhis was casually sitting on the stony edge, smirking at them all. In his arms was Shin.

"It's been a while, Kei."

Hayate pulled Himeno behind him, shielding her body as best as he could. "Sasame…is that really you?"

"I don't look any different now do I?" Haidhis calmly brushed his silver bangs aside, revealing a pair of bewitching lavender eyes . "But you should really call me Haidhis."

"If it's me you want, then release Shin," Kei stepped forward. Even in his small childish body, he was hardly intimidated by the likes of his enemy. "You can exact your vengeance on me."

"I don't really care too much about killing you, Kei. I only want the Pretear." Haidhis tossed Shin's limp body onto the floor. "You can have him back. I'm done playing with him. Wasn't very much fun though since he didn't fight back at all. Didn't even struggle when I was eating his existence away."

"Sasame, you traitor!" Mannen hastily threw an ice lance at Haidhis without thinking.

Haidhis stopped the projectile with a mere finger before absorbing it into himself. "Thank you for a bit of your spirit." He licked his finger in mockery. "Tasted very weak."

"Mannen! No more foolish moves," Kei commanded. "Her sanctuary should not be a battlefield."

"Give me the Pretear. Let me devour her soul so I can restore Takako's." Haidhis pointed at Hayate's direction. "Give her to me."

"No." Hayate felt Himeno latch tightly onto the fabric of his uniform. "She's not yours to take."

"Then will you take her for yourself?" Haidhis stood up and walked towards Takako's bed. "For what you made Takako suffer…I can never forgive…if I can't get her back…then…" He mouthed words only for Hayate to read. "Understand?"

Himeno could only catch blurry glimpses of Haidhis, a former Angel Knight, from behind Hayate. She wanted to see what was going on between them all.

"I will never let that happen," Hayate responded. _I'll never become like you._

"I only came here for a warning." Haidhis casted an indifferent stare at Kei. "I want to destroy you first. Tomorrow night, meet me here again. If you win, you can reclaim what's left of Takako's soul. If I win, I take your life away.

"What kind of moronic trade is that?" Mannen yelled. "We fight as a team. Don't –…"

"Silence Mannen. He's talking to me." Kei replied, "You are asking for a one-on-one match? Very well, I accept."

"When the leader falls, the rest will crumble. After I devour you, I will go after the Pretear. No one will be able to stop me." Haidhis kissed Takako's forehead. "Wait for me, my love. I'll restore you no matter what." He headed back towards the window to make his leave. "And Hayate…will you really be able to protect her? What if…_**that **_happens?" With the last remark, he vanished away.

"Shin!" Hajime rushed to his fallen brethren's side. "He's not doing too well, we need to bring him back home immediately."

"Mannen, help Hajime. Hayate, please make a quick check to see if Haidhis has sent his minions to any towns. Himeno, stay here with me, I need to talk to you." Kei walked over to Takako's body and put one hand over hers. He watched the others leave for their respective duties.

Himeno watched Kei cast a bright light over the sleeping princess.

"It takes a lot of my spirit to keep her in existence. If I don't get her soul back, keeping his body alive will be useless."

"You're doing the best you can, Kei. I wish there was someway I could help." Himeno felt sorry for Takako. _Was it really that painful? Having your love rejected?_

"Himeno. I'm sorry that it's come to this." Kei's voice grew serious. "But please stop being our Pretear."

"Why! I'm not afraid. I won't love Hayate if that's what you're afraid of," Himeno protested. "I want to keep fighting." _I don't have to love him. I can't love him. There's nothing between us…there can never be love between us._

"I'm not confident that I can win."

"What?"

"I am not confident that I can beat Sasame tomorrow and stop him."

"Why? You haven't even tried yet! If we prêt-"

"There's no way I can let him take your soul just to restore hers! You'll die! If I can take back the fragmented soul, I can lay it to rest and allow it to return to heaven."

"Is there no way to bring her back?"

"Not unless we exchange it. Restoring a soul isn't something easy. When Takako gets her soul back, she might not have that much longer to live because it's been detached from her body for so long…and Sasame's been feeding off of it for so long. Not devouring it completely, but taking small bites."

"So…we can't save her?"

"Her soul is too fragmented to restore, I can only bring it back to heaven."

"So why keep her body alive if it won't last?"

"Life…even for a short while should be cherished. The time for a human is nothing more than a flower in a bloom to us eternal creatures. She deserves to get some time back for all that was taken away."

"Kei…you really are bearing too much on your own."

"I can't win because I simply don't have my original strength back. I've used too much power keeping this castle the way it was. I'm really exhausted, but as the leader, I can't neglect my duties."

"Why haven't you told your team mates anything? It's too unfair for them. After telling them truth about Takako and Haidhis, how could you! Himeno was furious. "How?

"Because they'll never let me sacrifice myself. As it stands, this battle can only be won with the White Knight."

"White Knight?"

"An Angel Knight who exceeds his limit and capacity. He needs the soul of a Pretear willing to sacrifice herself."

"What?" Himeno wasn't sure what Kei was implying, but she didn't want to get herself killed in the battle against Haidhis. "I don't want to die."

"I'm not saying you will. I want you to prêt with me and give me all of your strength. I just want you to drain your soul almost out, to the limits. You'll recover with rest in time."

"Will it really work?" Himeno was skeptical.

"I was the White Knight once in my whole career. The Pretear gave it me her all and won."

"Okay, simple enough."

"If I prêt with you now and take your power, I may regain most of my strength back for tomorrow."

"Will you win?"

"I don't know. If I don't become the White Knight on my own, I'll lose. I won't battle him with you inside of me."

"But if you lose, everyone will…what will we do without you?"

"Can you quit being the Pretear after giving me your strength? If I lose, he'll come straight for you. If you're not the Pretear anymore, he can't take your soul away."

"Won't all of Leafania be destroyed if the Angel Knights can't fight back?" Kei's plan didn't make sense to Himeno. "I don't want that!" _How did everything become like this? I never wanted this to happen._

"If I fail…can you tell Hayate for me that he's allowed to use his gift to stop Haidhis? Kei smiled weakly. "If only I could end everything on my own, then I wouldn't need to hurt others. I'm sorry for putting you through this, Himeno.

"I just wish there was a way for everyone to live happily ever after…to have the kind of endings that fairy tales have…but it's impossible because we don't live in fairy tales." Himeno felt her heart sank, "If there's no other way other than to sacrifice myself, then I'll do it."

"Himeno…I'm sorry."

"I'll give you my all and then give my first kiss away." _To someone I don't even love._

"I'll do my best to become the White Knight," Kei reassured. He held out his hand. "I don't want another sad ending."

Himeno closed her eyes, felt Kei take her hand and focused on giving him all her soul.

* * *

"White Knight?" Sasame laughed. "You're even more foolish than I thought, Kei. You can't become the White Knight." He thought back to those many generations ago. "The Pretear you were with, I bet you didn't know she loved you and that's why she was able to give you her all. Same with Zephyrei and his beloved."

The comforts of the darkness surrounded him. His butterflies had done a magnificent job in giving him more spirit. There were only two knights patrolling and all he had to do was unleash his army to every single town. There was no way two knights could keep up with him.

"A White Knight is only born from a Pretear who loves him."

* * *

KeyQuis: I have many evil plans for Sasame in the future chapters. I had a writer's block because I wanted to improve or change my writing style. Well, I have a foggy idea of what will happen next chapter…a very foggy image of the events to come. I'm happy to still have readers waiting on me. A big thank you for liking my stories.

Side note: I reread my old Pretear fanfics and I laughed at how cute and fluffy so many of them were. I wish I could be more ambitious and rewrite Only You without the ton of mistakes I made, but I'll leave it as a reminder of how I started out.

Chapter 7: From Light to Darkness


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